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In Wales, the Quinnell surname carries a weight of expectation, synonymous with rugby prowess and bravery on the pitch. From Derek Quinnell's fierce battles in the 1970s to his sons Scott and Craig's impressive performances two decades later, followed by the emergence of youngest sibling Gavin, the family name is woven into the fabric of Welsh rugby history.

However, Steele Quinnell, son of Scott, is carving out a reputation on a very different stage. The 26-year-old personal trainer, sports masseur, psychology graduate and occasional actor has found a new calling - as a drag performer under the stage name Heidi Heights.

This Friday, he will don sequins and take centre stage at Ffos Las Racecourse for Ladies Day, a testament to how quickly his alter ego has ascended in the Welsh drag scene. "It's going to be really good fun," Steele told Wales Online, exuding the infectious energy that seems to fuel all his endeavours.

"I'm doing a half cabaret at the start - songs that everyone will know, songs you can really enjoy singing along to. And I'll be making jokes along the way because at the end of the day, I'm dressed up. If you take that too seriously, you probably shouldn't be there!" What sets Steele's story apart is the accidental nature of his drag career.

The former university rower from Bristol, who now works as a fitness coach in Cardiff, has always harboured a passion for performing.

School productions of Les Miserables and Oliver! gave him his first taste of the spotlight. Subsequently, he even toured alongside his father, Scott, in The Lion Speaks Tonight, a unique blend of rugby tales, music, and audience interaction.

However, the pivotal moment arrived when he auditioned for a local staging of the musical, Kinky Boots.

Originally, Steele pursued the male lead role of Charlie. The directors had different plans.

"They said, 'You've got a fantastic voice, but we've already got someone in mind for Charlie. Have you ever thought of playing Lola?'" Steele recalls.

"I hadn't - not really. But I gave it a go, sang 'Suddenly Seymour' as my audition piece, and they just turned around and said, 'That's it. You're our Lola.'"

Donning high heels felt intimidating.

"I was kind of off my head thinking, 'Do I want to do this part? Is it appropriate?'" he admits. "But I just thought, sod it, I'll do it."

The production proved life-changing. Steele realised not only that he could excel as a drag performer but that he absolutely adored it. Opportunities rapidly materialised - pantomime dame parts, individual cabaret appearances, then a regular slot.

By January this year, he dedicated himself to drag completely.

"I bought a nice wig, started making my own costumes, and really put some effort into it. Since then, I've got three residencies in bars, and I'm booked every Saturday for the rest of the year."

Selecting a drag persona is no trivial matter. Initially, he considered a cheeky play on his own surname - "Steel-etto."

However, he desired a clear distinction between his rugby-legend status and his drag character.

Standing tall, blonde, and broad-shouldered, Steele embraced these attributes when developing Heidi Heights.

"I thought, I'm very tall, blonde, blue-eyed - I'll go for something that sounds Scandinavian or German. Then I remembered the old TV show, Hi-de-Hi! and thought, perfect!".

"It's camp, it's funny, it tells you I'm tall - and I can play with it in the act. When I say 'Heidi Heights,' the crowd replies, 'Ho-de-ho!'"

This engaging, mischievous element forms the heart of his performances.

"I'll change words in songs to make them funny, get people up on stage, do girl-band routines where I'm Beyonce and they're Michelle and Kelly. I'm not the funniest, but I love making people laugh and join in."

Steele's career beyond drag remains equally demanding. He holds qualifications as a personal trainer and sports massage therapist, whilst possessing a master's degree in psychology.

He brands himself as a "mind coach," assisting clients in achieving both physical and personal objectives.

"I think the theme across everything I do is about making people happy," he reveals.

"With personal training, I help someone reach a goal. With massage, I help them feel less pain. With psychology, I help them understand themselves.

"And with drag, I make people laugh and smile for an evening. It all comes back to that."

Juggling these careers proves no simple task. Some months he delivers 14 performances alongside his gymnasium duties. Yet Steele flourishes amid the pandemonium.

"I'm completely ADHD, I need to be busy," he says. "If I'm not training someone, I'm making a dress, re-styling a wig, or learning songs."

Having rugby legends as father and grandfather, Steele might easily have felt constrained by expectations.

Rather, he's discovered how to harness the identical magnetism and passion for entertainment into an alternative outlet.

"My dad has always been one of my biggest advocates," Steele says.

"He never made a big fuss about it - just, 'What else am I supposed to do? You're my son.'".

Indeed, Scott Quinnell's personal career transformation - from rugby player to accomplished television presenter and motivational speaker - appears to have influenced Steele.

"I've always said, my dad's a drag queen without the wig," Steele jokes. "He has this superpower of identifying people in a room for a laugh and keeping everyone's attention. I've probably inherited that. I could never do a scripted three-hour show, and neither could he. We're at our best when we're being authentic."

Notwithstanding the triumph of television programmes like RuPaul's Drag Race, drag continues to spark hostility in certain quarters.

However, regardless of the masculine culture that persists throughout sections of rugby, Steele maintains there was never any possibility of anything less than complete backing from his father.

"I don't think my dad ever saw it as needing his acceptance," he says. "For him, it was just obvious - I'm his son, of course he supports me. If he acted any other way, he'd be a bit of a prat!"

Steele reveals the Heidi Heights character might have a lengthy future ahead, or could equally wind up forgotten in the wardrobe alongside the wings.

"I don't like the idea of having just one stream of income - I'd get bored. Maybe I'll go back and do a PhD in psychology, maybe I'll end up on TV. I like to live in the moment and diversify."

For the time being, however, all attention turns to his forthcoming performance at Ffos Las, where doors open for Ladies Day at 12.10 and the final race concludes at 5.00pm, with abundant entertainment to follow.

Ladies Day is renowned for its glamour, but Heidi Heights vows to elevate it further.

"It'll be a laugh from start to finish," Steele says. "I want everyone to leave smiling."

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