Dad dubbed ‘world’s unluckiest man’ turns life around

After a string of “bad luck”, Oliver Pugh was miserable — until he decided to turn it around, losing 55kg and gaining a whole new look.

A father-of-two who endured an unfortunate string of bad luck, from repeated illnesses to his wife leaving him, has gone on to turn his life around and is now completely unrecognisable.

There is a reason why Oliver Pugh once described himself as the “unluckiest man in the world”.

When he was just 22 years old, his life took an unexpected turn.

He led an active lifestyle, enjoying sports such as martial arts where he was a European kung fu champion, boxing and rugby, alongside his job as a labourer.

But in 2012, his life nosedived after he lost half his thumb in a workplace incident.

He also suffered from hip pain that was caused by a spinal cord tumour.

He had two operations to remove the tumour, but they failed.

Oliver Pugh, from the UK, survived three bouts of meningitis, a hospital superbug, a heart attack and a cancerous tumour. Picture: SWNS / MEGA

“I had just put it down to wear and tear as I was doing a manual labouring job at the time and was really into my kung fu,” Mr Pugh said in 2017.

His extraordinary string of bad luck continued after the wound got infected, causing Mr Pugh to contract meningitis three times as a result of his spinal cord becoming infected.

He also picked up the hospital superbug MRSA.

Just when he thought things couldn’t get worse, Mr Pugh’s marriage broke down just after he suffered a heart attack in December 2015.

Subsequently, the 29-year-old English father hit an all-time low where he ended up in ICU, with doctors describing his condition as broken heart syndrome.

The father-of-two contracted meningitis three times as a result of his spinal cord becoming infected. Picture: SWNS / MEGA

“Because of the tumour my heart was pumping more and more blood around my body and was needing to work harder and harder while the tumour kept growing,” he said at the time.

“My marriage had broken down and I had moved back from where we were living in Chesterfield to Buxton.”

One month after his heart attack. Mr Pugh suffered another medical setback when he lost feeling in both his legs because of the tumour.

“Doctors were faced with the question of kill or cure,” he said.

But Mr Pugh went on to defy all odds by standing on his own two feet just a day after undergoing an operation.

The self-described ‘unluckiest man in the world’ then faced a separation when his marriage broke down after suffering a heart attack. Picture: SWNS / MEGA

INSPIRING TRANSFORMATION

Since getting the all-clear in January 2017 and having a hip replacement, Mr Pugh focused all his attention on getting his life and health back on track.

Having never been to a gym, Mr Pugh, who weighed 114kg, joined his local Transformation HQ gym — a decision that would ultimately change his life.

Today, the father-of-two has lost 55kg and not only boasts a six-pack, but a stack of confidence to match.

“I expressed my concerns to Carl (trainer) about my spinal operations and my replaced hip and how I was worried that I may injure myself or not be able to perform the exercises required,” Mr Pugh told Lad Bible this week.

But today, the 29-year-old, is looking and feeling healthier after shedding 50kg. He peaked at 114kg as a result of his health problems. Picture: Transformation HQ Leeks

“Carl put my mind at rest by showing and explaining the do’s and don’ts for each area concerned, and we came up with adapted versions to cater to my less-able body.

“As the weeks went by my confidence grew and I thoroughly enjoyed each session. It was liberating to be able to enjoy some exercise again.”

With plenty of commitment, dedication and dieting, Mr Pugh went on to lose 50kg over 11 months.

He also went on to open his own bar, Gilbert’s.

“I can now say I have reached my weight-loss goal and I am thrilled. Although I still have health issues and I am awaiting another hip replacement, I’m confident that my recovery will be a lot easier now I have invested in my health,” he told Lad Bible.

He said his new goal was to maintain his new shape before adding additional muscle.