Sauna slowed me down. Now we share it.

I'm William, the founder of Hikitalo. It all started with a love of sauna and what it does for people.

I was born in Wales and raised in Holland, and spent my school holidays in Porthcawl, often to surf. After years of travelling, it was saunas that truly changed everything. Through heat, I found peace and reconnected with myself and others in a way I had been missing for years.

The social connection is what it is all about for me. You can sit next to a total stranger and have a proper conversation, or feel completely connected without saying a word.

Travelling, I met a Finn in Guatemala who shared what sauna means where he comes from. That conversation, and saunas in different countries, inspired me to bring Hikitalo to life back in Porthcawl.

Steve joined as our first team member. We connected over sea dips in Porthcawl, and his warm welcome to me in the community meant I knew instantly he was a great fit. We are now a team of around 15.

We want to keep creating third spaces, places that are not home and not work, and introduce sauna culture into Wales.