Sam Matthews

Sam Matthews grew up in Truro, Cornwall. With a background in rugby, Sam won four consecutive county championships with his club Truro. Off the back off these performances he was selected to represent the Cornwall age groups, attend South West of England Trials and be a part of the Exeter Chiefs Elite Player Development Group.

At 16 Sam left home to pursue rugby opportunities at Hartpury College before then attending the University of Birmingham. He read Psychology at the University of Birmingham, graduating in July 2021.

He then returned home to the Southwest where he underwent further training at the University of Exeter to qualify as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner specialising in Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. He worked as a practitioner across Cornwall with an active caseload working with GP’s, Mental Health Nurses, Social Services and Emergency Services to triage and treat a diversified portfolio of patients.

Sam Matthews then joined the MOD as a Human Performance Scientist. He has worked to deliver performance psychology workshops and pre-deployment briefings to increase the psychological performance and resilience in regiments across the British Army. Through his diversified background in both performance and mental health as well as his own personal sporting background, Sam offers a unique insight into how to combine high performance with psychological wellness In his spare time Sam is an avid surfer, frequently returning to the Southwest when large storms roll in and the waves is good.