England soccer legend Rio Ferdinand talks about being a widower and raising three young kids alone.
HE’S never been the kind of guy who’s comfortable wearing his heart on his sleeve. Tears are for sissies. You don’t win soccer matches by crying and feeling sorry for yourself – or at least this was the pep talk Rio Ferdinand used to give his teammates in the England dressing room.
Which was why fans were stunned to see the former skipper sobbing as he poured his heart out in a candid documentary, Being Mum and Dad, about how a personal tragedy turned his whole world upside down.
What do you do when the person you love most in the world dies suddenly and traumatically? How do you explain to your young children that their mother is never coming back?
Two years after his beloved wife Rebecca’s death from a very aggressive form of breast cancer, the soccer legend is still struggling to find answers.
“I had an unbelievable life – a fantastic wife and great kids,” Rio (38) says in the touching documentary. “And then, bang, the moment Rebecca was diagnosed with cancer, it all changed.”
Rebecca (who died when she was 34) was first treated for breast cancer in 2013. She thought she had beaten it but in March 2015 doctors gave her the bad news: it was back and had spread. There was nothing more they could do. Within two months she was dead.
Rio was devastated. Not only was he a widower but he suddenly found himself the sole parent of three young children: Lorenz (now 10), Tate (8) and Tia (6).
This story is from the 20 April 2017 edition of Drum English.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the 20 April 2017 edition of Drum English.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Homegrown Heroes
Drum speaks to two volunteers in the Covid-19 vaccine trial and the professor heading the team in Africa
The Big Clean Up
Whenever a Covid-19 case is confirmed at a shop, they call in the deep-cleaners. We find out exactly how they disinfect stores and supermarkets
I'm Back & Better!
Babes Wodumo shares what she’s been up to in lockdown – and there’s some new music on the horizon
Not An Easy Ride
Taxi commuters and industry players tell DRUM what’s driving them to defy lockdown rules
Mam' Mary Bows Out
Iconic actress Mary Twala is fondly remembered by friends and family for her humour and talent
‘They Lived For Each Other'
This Cape Town teen’s parents died from Covid-19 on the same day. Now she’s alone and battling the virus too
Stranger Than Fiction
For actor Mangaliso Ngema and his daughter Khosi Ngema, her role in Blood & Water was like watching their family’s real-life story unfold
I Was Raped By A Pastor
His accusations against a well-known man of the cloth turned an Eastern Cape man’s life into turmoil but now more victims have spoken out
My Fight With Life And Death
More Covid-19 patients, too few beds and staff, constant sanitising and personal fears – a Western Cape doctor shares her experience
I AM ENOUGH
Ten years after being set alight, Thembi Maphanga is living life to the fullest
