This episode contains discussions on maternal death, which may be triggering for some individuals

In July 2018, Ric and his wife Jade welcomed their son Hugo into the world. Just hours later, following a series of catastrophic complications during childbirth, Jade tragically passed away. Overnight, Ric went from new father to widowed parent, facing the unimaginable challenge of raising a newborn while navigating grief, trauma and the loss of his soulmate.

In this raw conversation, Ric reflects on those early days of survival, the running journey that helped him rebuild his identity, and how he transformed unimaginable loss into purpose. He opens up about fatherhood, grief, resilience, relationships, legacy and the importance of putting one foot in front of the other when life doesn't go to plan.

The episode also explores a reality many people avoid thinking about: how quickly circumstances can change, and the role that protection played in giving Ric the financial breathing space to focus on being a father when he needed it most.

💥 This episode is brought to you by TOM Insurance
If you'd like to learn more about life insurance, income protection or critical illness cover, visit:  👉TOM.

🔥 Find our guest and show details here:
 Ric Hart → https://www.instagram.com/richardhart786/
Real With Ric → https://realwithric.co.uk/
Host – Simon Jefferies → https://www.instagram.com/the.natural.edge/
Follow the show → @unvinciblepod

⏱️ Chapters:

(00:00:00) – The day everything changed
(00:04:42) – Becoming a father and losing Jade hours later
(00:11:08) – Survival mode: raising a newborn through grief
(00:17:04) – Running, healing and rebuilding identity
(00:24:56) – Finding purpose after unimaginable loss
(00:31:18) – Fatherhood, legacy and raising Hugo alone
(00:38:02) – Relationships, grief and starting again
(00:44:15) – Life after trauma: gratitude, perspective and hope
(00:49:41) – Why protection mattered when it mattered most
(00:56:28) – Small steps, big changes and advice for moving forward

⚡ Key Talking Points

• Losing a partner during childbirth and becoming a solo parent overnight
• The reality of grief, shock and trauma in the months that followed
• How running became a tool for healing and self-discovery
• Rebuilding identity after losing a soulmate
• Raising a son while keeping his mother's memory alive
• The importance of hope when life feels impossible
• Finding purpose through writing, speaking and helping others
• How life insurance provided financial breathing space after tragedy
• Why so many people assume "it won't happen to me"
• Living for today whilst still planning for tomorrow

⚡ Thanks for listening to Unvincible ⚡

Subscribe for more conversations about resilience, responsibility, identity and the moments that force us to rethink what really matters. Because life doesn’t always go to plan, and pretending we’re invincible doesn’t make us safe.

Iain was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer aged 31 in 2019, despite having no symptoms at all. What followed wasn’t the reaction most people would expect. Instead of letting the diagnosis define him, Iain decided to turn it into purpose: documenting his journey online, taking on endurance challenges while undergoing chemotherapy, and attempting to break the world record for the most money ever raised through marathon running. Since then, he’s built a community of millions and raised over £700,000 for charity.

Throughout the episode, Iain and Simon explore the mindset shift that comes when you realise life isn’t guaranteed, why so many people assume “it won’t happen to me”, and the importance of purpose, humour and preparing for the unexpected. From mortality and masculinity to travel insurance and marathon running on chemo, this is a conversation that challenges what resilience really looks like.

💥 This episode is brought to you by TOM Insurance
 If you’d like to learn more about life insurance, income protection or critical illness cover, visit:
 👉 TOM

🔥 Find our guest and show details here:

• Iain Ward → instagram.com/thekingofchemo
• The King of Chemo → thekingofchemo.com
• Donate to Iain’s fundraising mission → thekingofchemo.com/#donate
• Host – Simon Jefferies → instagram.com/the.natural.edge/
• Follow the show → instagram.com/unvincible_pod/

⏱️ Chapters:

(00:00:00) – Introduction & meeting The King of Chemo

(00:03:20) – The diagnosis that came completely out of nowhere

(00:08:11) – Awake brain surgery and facing the unknown

(00:12:47) – Choosing purpose over self-pity

(00:17:58) – Running marathons whilst on chemotherapy

(00:22:36) – The pressure of masculinity and staying “strong”

(00:28:04) – Mental fitness, routine and controlling mindset

(00:33:41) – “You never think it’ll happen to you”

(00:38:55) – Humour, perspective and learning to live differently

(00:45:12) – What really matters when time feels limited

⚡ Thanks for listening to Unvincible ⚡

Subscribe for more conversations about resilience, responsibility, identity and the moments that force us to rethink what really matters. Because life doesn’t always go to plan, and pretending we’re invincible doesn’t make us safe.

Brought to you by TOM Insurance.

Unvincible is a podcast brought to you by TOM, a trading style of Candid Insurance Services Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The content of this podcast is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Terms and conditions may apply. (edited)