To mark the Paralympics, we’re honoured to be able to share this message of inclusion from Paralympian and Ability Options Board Director, Matt Levy.
Hello. For those of you who may not know me, my name is Matt Levy, and I sit on the Ability Options Board. I am also a Paralympic athlete, and with the 2024 Paralympic Games happening this week, I wanted to share my story with you.
I was born 15 weeks premature with a bleed on my brain, leaving me with vision impairment and Cerebral Palsy affecting the movement of my arms and legs. I have been through over 40 operations, many in the early days of my life, to help me survive.
As I got older, I wanted more out of my life, but didn’t know where to start. I started swimming quite early on as a big form of therapy because I couldn’t walk, run, or even crawl – but in water, I could swim on my own. This was a huge step for me to discover what turned out to be a very rewarding career as a top athlete representing Australia on the world stage.
In 2000, I watched the Sydney Paralympic Games. I saw people with far more severe disabilities than me achieving incredible things. It inspired me to make a goal – a goal to be an elite athlete.
I decided I wanted to do more than laps around a swimming pool, so I began training for what turned out to be a career as a Paralympic medallist and disability advocate.
In my career, I have competed at five consecutive Paralympic Games winning nine medals, swam at five World Swimming Championships, broken and now hold four world records, and received the Order of Australia medal.
The Paralympic Games have been an incredible opportunity for me to not only have the honour to represent Australia, but to help inspire our communities to change their perspective on disability.
The Games give us a chance to come together as a community, support and rally behind the disability community and celebrate their potential.
They are also a reminder that people with disabilities have the right to participate in adaptive sports and recreational activities at all levels, whether competitively or not.
The Paralympic Games started on 28 August in Paris with the best of the best of the disability community competing on the world stage.
I encourage you to tune in and watch the games when you can and rally behind these athletes, be inspired by their achievements, and celebrate their potential.
We all started somewhere, we have dreams and aspirations to achieve. If it’s in sport, life or business, it all starts with passion.
I firmly believe that no matter what you want to do in life, nurture your passion, water your goals and watch it grow.
I hope you enjoy this year’s Paralympic Games,
Matt.
