Matt Cowdrey is Australia’s newest super fish after collecting his fifth gold medal and fourth world record at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. His feat also saw him awarded Paralympian and Male Athlete of Year at the 2008 Paralympian of the Year Awards.

Matt has excelled on the world stage with multiple gold medal performances at Paralympics, world championships and Commonwealth Games.

At the recent IPC Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, Matt continued to dominate the pool winning gold in six events, setting a world record time in the 100m backstroke, and taking out the silver in the 100m butterfly.

Matt, an arm amputee from birth, said he did not look at himself as disabled.

‘It has not stopped me doing anything, except maybe swinging off monkey bars when I was five,’ Matt said.

Matt first made his mark in swimming at the age of 11 when he broke the Australian open record in the S9 classification. He then went on to break the world record at just 13.

At the age of 15, Matt returned from the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games with three gold, two silver and two bronze medals, and finished the meet with an amazing two world records.

Following his Athens performance, Matt was named the Australian Swimmer of the Year with a Disability three years in a row and the Junior Male Paralympian of the Year.

Matt has developed into a top elite swimmer following years of dedication and hard work and now resides and trains at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.