Mr. Motivators Heartbreak: A Life Transformed by Loss

For three decades he's been the face of fitness in the UK, dedicating his life to keeping the nation healthy. 

And now, at the age of 73, Mr Motivator shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and is more passionate than ever about helping others with their physical and mental health. 

One driving force behind his passion is the grief of losing his beloved granddaughter.

In 2021, the fitness guru's world was rocked by the loss of Hadassah, who tragically passed away at the age of 12 after contracting meningitis. 

Hadassah was living with her mother - Derrick's eldest daughter Caroline Evans Charles - in Antigua. She was one of four of Derrick's grandchildren.

'When you lose someone who's very young you feel kind of helpless,' Mr Motivator told The Daily Mail. 

'As fathers or grandparents, you always feel that you're there. If your child calls out, you're there to wipe their nose, you're there to prop them up and lift them up,' he continued. 

'And when I couldn't do anything to help I found myself in a space that… I almost forgot all the messages that I've been giving people. 

'When you're in that space, take time out, walk away from the problem, read a book, play some music, look through your photo album, I forgot all of it. 

'And so the stress really hit me and there was a point at which I almost collapsed. 

'I realised that what I was doing was I was being strong for everyone else. But I was forgetting that to take good care of other people, you have got to take good care of yourself.'

Mr Motivator revealed that he was bottling up his emotions and had to realise that it was healthy to cry and let things out.   

'So, yeah, the mental side of fitness is so important for me now,' he explained. 

The nation was just gripped by a meningitis outbreak, that has tragically seen the death of two students while a further 18 people were admitted to hospital.

Despite initial fears that the outbreak could spread beyond the south-east, no new cases have been recorded since March 20.

Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges).

It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults.

It can cause life-threatening blood poisoning (septicaemia) and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.

Mr Motivator urged parents to be vigilant about their children's health, saying 'you have got to be observant and if you're unsure of any of those symptoms, go to the doctor immediately. 

'Don't hesitate, because it's one of those things that can move really quickly through your system.'

Mr Motivator also credits all his life experiences with helping him to become the man he is today. 

He explained: 'The difference between school and life is, at school you're taught a lesson, and then given a test. But life tests you, which teaches you a lesson. 

'And so everything I've had to deal with has been a wonderful lesson that I've learned.

Therefore, if I'm able to impart that lesson onto other people... that's why I do a lot of public speaking. I'm not taking it from a textbook. I've lived it, and that makes it personal.

'I can say I was homeless, I can say I was a one parent family, and I've been made redundant. I've had love, I've loved and lost and loved again.'

Mr Motivator drew on his experience with homelessness to launch his Bed Bank charity, which tackles child bed poverty and helps ensure every child has a safe, comfortable place to sleep.

He has also teamed up with SPAR to launch Fuel Your Spring - a new UK‑wide campaign encouraging people to embrace small, feel‑good daily habits that boost wellbeing and support local communities. 

The campaign follows new OnePoll research, commissioned by SPAR, revealing that 84 percent of people say a small daily walk boosts their mood, and 71 percent would be more likely to walk to local shops if they knew it improved their wellbeing.

Speaking about the partnership, Mr Motivator shared: 'My mantra has always been that movement is medicine, and the more we get people moving, the better life is.

'So when SPAR approached me I thought, let's sit down and talk about it some more. 

'There was a natural synergy between what my messaging is and what they want to achieve, which is, let's encourage people, rather than actually jumping in your car and driving down to the great big shopping areas, walk to your local store.'

The Step To SPAR Challenge runs from March 20 until April 17. You can get involved and be in with the chance of winning prizes by walking to your local store and picking up your Step To SPAR card.

Show your card every time you walk to SPAR to collect stamps and unlock rewards.