Collaboration Between Paul Kimmage and Matt Hampson
Paul Kimmage of The Sunday Times was the first journalist to interview Matt Hampson in hospital after the accident during an Under 21 England training session. Kimmage, a former professional cyclist, is the man who famously asked Lance Armstrong why he was keen to allow former dopers back into the cycling fraternity. Kimmage warned Hampson that the book had to be searingly honest and go to places that would hurt. Engage transcends the normal sport star's rise and fall and is greatly enhanced by Hampson's sense of humour, perspective and stark normality in an abnormal situation. He says of Kimmage: "Sometimes, I have to remind him that I am the one in the wheelchair."
The Circumstances of Matt Hampson's Injury
Hampson's experience was hardly an accident waiting to happen. The risk of sustaining a serious injury in rugby has been calculated at 0.84 per 100,000 players. Unfortunately, on that fateful day the young tight head prop took the force of over 400 kilos of manpower as he went head first down from a collapsed scrum. The result is that he has to listen to the sound of a ventilator that helps him breathe 21,600 times a day. His life was saved on the pitch by an international referee who had been trained as a paramedic and his spirits kept up thereafter by a strong and supportive family. His remarkable mother ensured he was never alone during the day and fought her corner against the unwieldy Rugby Football Union for compensation.
The Effects of Hampson's Injury on His Colleagues and Family
In one sense, Hampson had already been initiated into the school of hard knocks by his surrogate family - the ferociously hard but loyal club that he played for, Leicester Tigers. It is quite a thing to see the big, hard men of rugby that the young rookie tight head prop looked up to for acceptance and respect - Martin Johnson, Darren Garforth and Richard Cockerill - being taken out of their their comfort zone and having to handle a colleague's plight. Johnson, England's World-Cup winning captain of 2003 says that: "Whenever you see him, he always makes you feel better rather than the other way round." What prevents it from becoming too heartstrung - "the old violin" as Hampson sees it - are the kind of rugby macho posturings and twentysomething antics before (and after) the accident.
One of the great strengths of Engage is that it does not try to create a fairy tale ending like The Shawshank Redemption, which inspires part of the split narrative of the book. Andy Dusfrene may have escaped his prison cell physically in the film but Matt Hampson has got busy living by finding a purpose greater than himself. As his father says: 'One thing Matthew said to me early in his injury which I couldn't believe was "I'll be a better person for this in the long run, Dad." It seemed an extraordinary thing for a twenty-year-old to say.'
Sources: Catastrophic Injuries in Rugby Union: An Assessment of the Risk: Dr Colin W Fuller (2007)
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