After learning to walk and talk again following a brain injury in 2010, skilled skier Matt Masson has turned his trauma into an advantage by furthering his studies at learndirect, with the aim of supporting Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schoolchildren as a teaching assistant.
The Liss-born 37-year-old, who has been living in Chamonix in the French Alps since 2018, has always been drawn to the thrill of adventure as a lifelong skier, windsurfing and sailing instructor.
His story, however, took a dramatic turn at age 23 when he suffered a life-altering brain injury after falling through floors at a nightclub in Camden, changing his journey - and his perspective - forever.
Today, Matt is finding new purpose through a different path, becoming a teaching assistant and specialising in SEND, with the help of online learning provider learndirect.
Learning to Start Again
After his accident, Matt faced six months of intense recovery, with memory lapses and physical challenges that he still grapples with today.
“I don’t think I was ever really worried,” said Matt, describing his approach to recovery. “My memory was literally like 30 seconds, and the things I never forgot were friends and family, skiing, or Manchester United!”
Matt’s journey back wasn’t easy, but his goal-setting nature helped him tackle challenges that might have felt insurmountable, like walking the Amsterdam marathon and carrying the Olympic torch in London 2012.
“I wanted to prove that I was as strong, if not stronger, than most people. The last few miles [of the marathon] were painful," he admitted, "but I just wanted to show that I could still achieve big things."
Finding a New Purpose
After years of recovering and working as a freelance sports journalist, Matt felt it was time to pursue something new - something that could make a difference in people’s lives.
The shift started two years ago when he volunteered at a kid’s summer camp in Chamonix, where he helped guide many Ukrainian refugees. “It was just the best thing I’ve done; it was so nice. I just thought, ‘I’d like to do this, I’d like to be a teacher.”
Matt then went on to retrain as a teaching assistant, shadowing a teacher specialising in SEND during a volunteering stint at a school in Chamonix. He fondly remembers one of the pupils who lived with a chromosome deficiency.
“The teacher said, ‘he’s got this [condition] and this [condition]’, and every single thing I thought ‘I had that’. I really identified with him. In a lot of jobs, the outcome of my accident is seen as a disadvantage, but if I [teach SEND], I’ve got a unique viewpoint and I think my accident would go from a negative to a big positive.
“No matter how well trained you are as a teacher, if you haven’t had a similar experience, then you can’t fully relate. I think I’ll inspire [pupils], especially if they have difficulties. You need to adapt to student level and adapt to learnings and hopefully I can do that.”
Studying Online to Boost His Career
Matt’s ambition is to work at an International school in Geneva, and to strengthen his skill set and enhance his employability, earlier this year he turned to learndirect – the UK’s leading provider of online qualifications – to study Special Educational Needs (SEN) – Advanced.
After coming across learndirect online, Matt decided to undertake this additional studying, all of which can be done from the comfort of his own home.
“learndirect is a big organisation and the course had a high pass rate, and it’s been a really good experience. You read the units and then answer the questions, whereas other courses may be more focused on discussion, but this is good [studying at your own pace]. I want to make the most of my experiences. I want to do something good.”
For anyone who has faced their own uphill battles and are doubting their ability to achieve their goals, Matt has this message: “Try to aim super high and if it doesn’t happen, then just go on to the next [goal]. If you’re happy and smiling, people are a lot more willing to help. Keep adapting. Everything is evolving all the time, so have an overarching goal and just be really adaptive.”
Want to help shape the next generation? Find the perfect course for you in our free teaching and education brochure! Click HERE to download.
