Matt was at the start of a career in professional rugby when an injury in training with England Under-21s during 2005 changed his life and its impact on others.

Paralysed from the neck down and breathing via a ventilator, his rugby dream was over. But rather than lament what he had lost, Matt decided to focus on what he could still do and to ‘get busy living’.

He created the Matt Hampson Foundation to help other young people following life-changing injury in sport and opened its unique Get Busy Living Centre in Leicestershire to provide expert physiotherapy, specialist personal training, counselling, wellbeing and mentorship.

Now Matt is taking on his own physical challenge by participating in the 2026 TCS London Marathon with a team of support runners to raise sponsorship and awareness and to take his Foundation’s support even further.

“This is my Everest,” says Matt.

“Our beneficiaries are doing great things, being active and healthy, building confidence and independence, and following our ‘Get Busy Living’ mantra, and they inspire me every single day.”