LONDON MARATHON WILL BE MY EVEREST SAYS MATT
Matt Hampson is taking part in the London Marathon in 2026 with a team from his Foundation which supports young people after life-changing injury in sport.
Matt was at the start of a career in professional rugby when an injury in training with England Under-21s in 2005 changed his life in a split-second.
Paralysed from the neck down and breathing via a ventilator, rather than lament what he had lost, Matt instead decided to focus on what he could still do and to ‘get busy living’.
In response to the incredible support he received during 17 months in hospital, he created his Foundation as a charity to help other young people following serious injury in all levels of sporting activity.
Endurance challenges
Now he hopes his participation in the TCS London Marathon in April 2026 can help to take that support even further.
“This is my Everest,” said Matt.
“So many people support the Foundation in different ways and I think it is about time that I did a challenge too.
“We’ve got a lot of supporters doing their own endurance challenges, including a solo cycle across Europe this summer, two crews raising sponsorship by taking part in The Toughest Row across the Atlantic in December and a Get Busy Paddling kayak event around the Isle of Wight to come, so this is my endurance event.
“London is my chance to raise funds for the Foundation and also to raise awareness of what we do and who we support.”
The Foundation opened its Get Busy Living Centre near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire during 2018 and now has plans to extend facilities as well as establishing a network of regional hubs to take its support even further.
Confidence
Matt said: “Our beneficiaries are doing great things every day. We’ve just seen a team from our northern hub set a world record in the Great North Run and a group competing at the Adaptive Games in Las Vegas, but there are also so many other good stories of beneficiaries being active and healthy, all following our ‘Get Busy Living’ mantra to build their confidence and independence following injury to lead exciting, fulfilling lives.”
The team of runners who will push Matt over the 26-mile distance in London includes Foundation personal trainer ‘Sutty’ and long-time friend Amy Smith who has been fundraising in a series of marathons this year.
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