Matt Hampson

Sixteen years ago, Matt Hampson was a professional rugby union player with bags of potential. He was on the books of the then formidable Leicester tigers, caps for the England Under-Eighteens and Under Twenty-Ones. Everything pointed Matt having a hugely successful playing career. But on a cold Tuesday morning in March 2005, whilse training with the England Under Twenty-Ones, everything changed in one single moment. As the forwards practice, the scrum Matt was part of collapsed and his neck took the full force of the blow. Many days later, he woke up in an intensive care unit, paralyzed from the neck down and now needing a ventilator just to stay alive. He was just twenty years old, and now a tetraplegic. For many, the road back to having any kind of life again, would have looked virtually impossible. But after seventeen long months in hospital, and many more in rehabilitation, Matt began to slowly rediscover life again. Through setting up the Matt Hampson Foundation, he's now devoted his life to helping men and women have also had to face up to life changing injuries. Matt teamed up with Author Paul Kimmage, to write the extraordinary tale of his life in his brilliant book, Engage. This is the story of a man whose world collapsed. A man who then found the strength and determination to reshape his life into one that should leave us all feeling inspired. If you have been through life events similar to those described in this episode and you need someone to talk to, please contact The Samaritans, on 116 123 And if you'd like to share your thoughts with Simon, he'd love to hear from you: Twitter @SimonThomasSky