Introduction
What does it take to rebuild your life from the ground up? For Craig Williams, a former Royal Marine sniper with 15 years of elite military service, the answer involved surviving combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, serving time in prison, and discovering — in a prison yard, running laps in flip flops — that movement could be medicine. His story is one of the most extraordinary we’ve featured on Don’t Let The Old Man In, and it speaks directly to something many men in midlife know all too well: the weight of a past mistake, and the question of whether reinvention is really possible.
Why this conversation matters for men in midlife
Most of us won’t have Craig’s backstory. But the themes he explores are deeply familiar: purpose and identity after a defining chapter ends; the paralysing effect of comparison; what happens when structure disappears; and how physical movement can unlock psychological change. Whether you’ve lost a career, made a poor decision, or simply found yourself asking “what’s next?” — Craig’s journey offers a compelling case that it’s never too late to rebuild.
About Craig Williams
Craig served 15 years with the Royal Marines, deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Arctic. He rose to become a team leader and trained sniper before a series of personal struggles — including the psychological cost of combat — led to a gunfight on the streets of the UK and a five-year prison sentence. Rather than letting incarceration define him, Craig used his time inside to study, train, and plan. Since his release he has built multiple businesses, competed in some of the world’s toughest ultra-running events, authored books on mindset and performance, and co-founded Urban Flux, a custom-built podcast studio in Wolverhampton. Today he works as a mindset coach and speaker, helping others reframe adversity and unlock their potential.
What we discuss in this episode
- The brotherhood, pride — and disillusionment — of 15 years in the Royal Marines, including service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- What it’s really like to be a military sniper — beyond the Hollywood version — and the psychological cost of humanising the enemy.
- The gunfight, the arrest and a five-year prison sentence — and how Craig describes the moment he knew he’d made a catastrophic mistake.
- How running — started in desperation in a prison yard, wearing flip flops — became the foundation of a transformed life.
- The power of purpose and mentorship: why Craig calls his work supporting bereaved military families the greatest privilege of his life.
- Why comparison is a thief — not just of joy, but of your potential — and how Craig overcame self-doubt during Royal Marines training.
- How Craig used prison as a two-and-a-half year decompression from military life — completing course after course and discovering a talent for rapid learning.
- From incarceration to ice ultras: completing the 230km Swedish Ice Ultra, the Marathon des Sables, and a 147-mile race through the Peruvian Andes.
“If you want to change your psychology, first change your physiology,” Craig says — and his life is proof that the maxim holds.
This is a raw, honest, and ultimately uplifting conversation about what happens when a man loses everything — and chooses to rebuild anyway. Craig’s journey from elite soldier to prisoner to entrepreneur and ultra-runner offers a masterclass in the kind of resilience that any man navigating a midlife transition can draw on. Don’t miss it.
Reflections and Experiments
Pod provides reflections on each conversation, summarises what he has learned from the guest, and suggests one experiment he plans to try as a result of their shared information.
Pod's reflections
Personal follow-on episodes unpacking the themes, insights and lived experience behind each discussion.
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Guest info
Craig Williams
Craig Williams is a former Royal Marines Commando, sniper, and team leader with 15 years of service that included tours of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Arctic. Following his discharge and a period of personal crisis that led to imprisonment, he transformed adversity into purpose — rebuilding himself through education, fitness, and entrepreneurship. He is the author of Running Light, a mindset guide for extreme runners and adventurers, and The Bootneck Blueprint, a guide to joining the Royal Marines. Craig has completed some of the world’s most demanding ultra-running events, including the Swedish Ice Ultra (230km), the Marathon des Sables, and a 147-mile race through Peru.
He is the co-founder of Urban Flux, Wolverhampton’s only custom-built podcast studio, and works today as a mindset coach, speaker, and author helping men unlock the potential they’ve always carried within them.
