Fledgling horse trainer Chester Williams is preparing to take on the London Marathon in a powerful bid to raise awareness and funds for baby loss charities, following a period of profound personal tragedy that he describes as his 'worst nightmare'.
A Dual Tragedy Unfolds
The 28-year-old son of trainers Nick and Jane Williams, and brother to former jockey Lizzie Kelly, faced two simultaneous crises in the autumn of 2022. On September 13th, 2022, Chester, then a professional jump jockey, suffered a severe fall while schooling a horse. The incident resulted in a traumatic brain injury, requiring him to be airlifted to Plymouth Hospital where he spent two weeks in intensive care and a total of five weeks in hospital, initially in a coma.
At the very same time, his wife Fliss was in the late stages of her first pregnancy. On October 11th, 2022, just three days past her due date, Fliss was rushed to hospital after suffering a placental abruption. Devastatingly, she was informed that their son Archie's heart had stopped beating and he had died.
An Absence Felt Deeply
In a cruel twist of fate, Chester was unable to be with his wife when she received the catastrophic news. "I say Fliss and not we because I was not there," Chester explained on his fundraising page. "Losing your baby is the worst thing imaginable but to make matters more tragically complicated, at the time of Archie’s death I was in hospital."
He was transferred to Barnstaple Hospital earlier than planned to be present for Archie's birth. "Thankfully I was present at Archie’s birth, although I can recall it only from what I have been told," he shared. "The best way I can describe it is having the worst nightmare and never waking up."
Finding Purpose in Grief and Recovery
Now, as he builds his new training career in Devon, Chester has channelled his grief into a mission. He will run the London Marathon to raise money for Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity that supported his family. He credits Sands with being there for Fliss when he could not be.
The couple's journey has since brought a measure of joy with the birth of their daughter, Ada, in January 2025. Chester says his marathon run is for all of them: "I want to run to make Ada and Fliss proud of me, but especially Archie."
He finds a connection to his lost son during his training, stating, "As I train, my connection with Archie grows and strengthens, giving me the uninterrupted time to think about him." Through this immense physical challenge, Chester Williams aims to honour his son's memory and support other families navigating the painful path of baby loss.
