Tresco chef Matt Smith training for London Marathon after crash

Eight months ago, Matt Smith could not walk unaided. Now the Tresco chef is training to run 26.2 miles through the streets of London, and he is asking the island that has been his summer home for the past five years to help him get there.

A broken back, a shattered leg, and a long road back

Matt is preparing to take on the 2027 London Marathon after a serious snowboarding accident last December left him with a broken back and a shattered leg. He has been through several operations to stabilise his vertebrae, followed by months of rehabilitation and physio, and is now back on Tresco, one of the inhabited islands that make up the Isles of Scilly, making good progress with his recovery.

He is running in support of Spinal Research, the UK’s leading medical charity focused on the repair and restoration of the spinal cord.

Five summers in Tresco’s kitchens

Matt has spent the past five summers working across the kitchen teams at The New Inn and The Ruin, becoming a familiar face within the island community along the way.

A quiz night to help him over the line

Matt’s fundraising target is £5,000. To help him get there, The New Inn on Tresco is hosting a pub quiz and raffle, bringing the island community together for the night.

The fundraising event takes place at The New Inn on Saturday 22 August, with a raffle offering a selection of prizes including a 3-night B&B stay at The New Inn and a weekend of camping at Troytown.

How to support Matt

“Going from learning to walk properly again to training for a marathon is quite a journey, but I’m determined to raise as much as I possibly can for this incredible charity,” Matt said. “Any donation, big or small, really will mean the world to me.”

Anyone further afield who wants to support Matt’s run can do so through his fundraising page, ahead of a marathon that is still eight months and a great deal of training away.