I'm running the Great North Run and the Cardiff Half for the Matt Hampson Foundation!!

12 months ago I ruptured my Achilles while playing rugby in Wandsworth Park. I was just two days out from the Hackney Half and had run the London Marathon the year before, running had completely changed my life and radically improved my mental and physical health. 

In one evening, I was sent home in a cast, completely unable to use my right leg and not really sure of when I'd be on my feet or out for a run again. 12 months later and my leg is still not the same, I experience severe stiffness and cramps and any/all exercise comes with fairly intense warm ups and cool downs.

Through my recovery it became more and more obvious how important sport and exercise is for mental health and how severe the consequences can be when it's suddenly taken away. I set myself the target of the Great North Run to get myself back to running and I couldn't think of a better charity to do it for than the Matt Hampson Foundation. I hope you join me in learning a little more about what they can do and help me try and achieve my fundraising target!

The Get Busy Living Centre provides expert physiotherapy, specialist personal training, support, mentoring and advice to people suffering a life-changing injury through sport. It's a unique facility which opened its doors in 2018 and is the brainchild of founder and former England and Leicester Tigers rugby player Matt Hampson, who himself experienced a life-changing injury in 2005 leaving him paralysed from the neck down, aged just 20.

Building a sense of community is central to the Matt Hampson Foundation. In the aftermath of an incident which leads to a life-changing injury most people and their families feel isolated with an overwhelming sense of loss for what has been taken away from them.