Tom Matthews is a Class 1 Para Table Tennis player from Aberdare, currently ranked fifth in the world in his classification. Following a life-altering mountain biking accident at age sixteen which left him wheelchair-bound, Tom discovered table tennis and quickly earned a place on the Welsh squad after his recovery. He later took a break from the sport to enjoy his teenage years and pursue a sense of normalcy. In 2012, Tom reached out to his former coach, eager to return to table tennis and reignite his competitive career.
“He was more than willing to have me back. He could see some potential in me, and I ended up going back and getting classified in 2013", Tom recalls.
Tom previously competed in the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2020 (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), where he was highly successful. He defeated the World number three Ki-won Nam from Korea as well as Lavrov and the former World and European medallist Andrea Borgato from Italy, ultimately securing the bronze medal in his Paralympic debut.
In May earlier this year, Tom competed in the qualification event for Paris 2024 in Thailand, where he narrowly missed his chance to secure a spot. Reflecting on the experience, Tom said, “There was a lot of pressure in Thailand. The heat was a big factor. Many Class 1 athletes can’t sweat due to damaged sweat glands from neck injuries, so when you get hot, it feels like you’re going to pass out a little bit. While this didn’t affect me too much in Thailand, it did play a role.”
Tom's fortunes took a turn when he received a wild card invitation to Paris 2024, transforming his prospects from competing in no events to participating in three: a singles event and two doubles categories.
“I was actually up in Sheffield when I got told alongside Megan. We both were pulled into the office together, which is a special memory now, I guess. It was nice to share the moment in the office and be a bit relieved really", Tom shared.
Describing the entire experience as a "whirlwind," Tom reflected on the emotional highs and lows. Despite the challenges, he remains immensely proud to attend another Paralympic Games and to don the British jersey once again, representing Paralympics GB.
Although he just missed out on quarter-final qualification in round 14 of the mixed doubles event with Megan Shackleton and fell short in the Men’s MD4 Doubles alongside Rob Davies, Tom's hopes now rest solely on his singles event for a chance to win a medal in Paris.
During his final preparation and training days located at the English Institute of Sport Sheffield Tom discussed his journey leading up to the big games;
“As you can tell by my deep breath, it's been a lot. Yeah, it's been a lot of competitions leading into the qualification period and it doesn't end in December anymore, it goes on to April now, so there are a lot of competitions in a very short period.
We've also just been to Slovenia, which was very hot by the way. That was a very good camp, ten days out there and then back now for the last holding camp in Sheffield and next week up to the Games.”
Having brought home a bronze in his Paralympic debut in Tokyo, Tom is determined to improve on this in Paris.
"The joke I've got is that the Tokyo bronze looks like rose gold. So, I’ve been passing it off as gold for the last three or four years—which obviously, it’s not. So, I'm going to go for that gold this time."
Tom has been having an outstanding season, having defeated some of the top athletes in his division, including formidable competitors from Italy and Korea. With these victories under his belt, he's certainly capable of taking home a medal this year.
Unlike in Tokyo, where COVID restrictions limited interactions between spectators and athletes, Tom will have a strong support network at the Paris Games. His friends, family, and even patrons from his local pub - who have hired a bus to cheer him on -will be there in full force. With this enthusiastic crowd backing him, there's no doubt Tom will feel the encouragement to give his best performance.
“I’m just really looking forward to getting out there and just expressing myself and doing my best to entertain everyone, and most importantly enjoy the experience.”
For the full Para Table Tennis Paralympic schedule and results go to: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-games/schedule/para-table-tennis?day=29-august
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