15 Jun 2022
Twelve years ago, Matt fell over 20ft in Camden and suffered a severe head injury. Back then, his future was unsure. Now, he is rarely found without skis attached to him, and will be participating in our abseil event this year to raise money for the service that saved his life.
On 27 November 2010, London’s Air Ambulance attended to Matt by rapid response car and administered him an anaesthetic on scene, alongside other protective head injury measures. He was then taken to The Royal London Hospital for further treatment.
“Life before my accident feels like a movie,” said Matt. “The memories don’t feel like first-hand memories, so my life now feels like all I really know, and it’s great!”
After six weeks in a coma and several months of neuro rehabilitation, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, Matt re-learnt how to talk, walk and complete daily tasks independently. You can read more information on Matt’s recovery journey here. He now lives in Chamonix in France, working as a free-ski journalist.
“I still do physio twice a week, but I love it. Everyone can walk better than me, and here a lot of people can ski better than me. But because of physio I can do many things no one else can – like a 15 minute plank or 12 chin ups with one hand!”
In September 2022, Matt will stand on our helipad base – the highest helipad in Europe – and abseil down the side of The Royal London Hospital during our annual abseil event.
“I’ve always wanted to do something for London’s Air Ambulance. So when my mum mentioned this, I knew I’d be there.”
Even though Matt’s accident involved heights, he remains excited and unnerved by the event. “Things like this don’t scare me. I’m more excited about looking like James Bond on the side of a building!” If you would like to join Matt and experience a free hang whilst abseiling, please join our team today, Matt would love to see you there:
“This is like the ideal introduction to challenge events: it’s going to be an amazing experience, but it’ll be well organized and safe. So it’s the perfect thing to do for someone who hasn’t done something like this before.”
During his recovery journey, Matt documented some of his experiences in his own video, which you can watch if you’d like more detail on his inspiring story.
We’re so glad to see Matt enjoying life, and are thankful for his fundraising efforts. Are you up for joining him?
