MATTHEWS Thomas

Date of Birth: 19 Aug 1992

Age: 29

Gender: Male

Sport Class: 1

Place of birth: MERTHYR TYDFIL

Birth Country:

Great Britain

Place of residence : GREAT BRITAIN

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
General Interest
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Table Tennis	Men's Singles - Class 1	3

Schedule

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium Table 6	Men's Singles - Class 1 Group B #6 GBR MATTHEWS TMATTHEWS Thomas Sport Class: 1 3 KOR NAM KWNAM Ki Won Sport Class: 1 1	Finished
	Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium Table 6	Men's Singles - Class 1 Group B #10 GBR MATTHEWS TMATTHEWS Thomas Sport Class: 1 3 RPC LAVROV DLAVROV Dmitrii Sport Class: 1 1	Finished
	Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium Table 6	Men's Singles - Class 1 Quarterfinal 4 #16 ITA BORGATO ABORGATO Andrea Sport Class: 1 1 GBR MATTHEWS TMATTHEWS Thomas Sport Class: 1 3	Finished
	Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium Table 6	Men's Singles - Class 1 Semifinal 2 #18 KOR KIM HUKIM Hyeon Uk Sport Class: 1 3 GBR MATTHEWS TMATTHEWS Thomas Sport Class: 1 0	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

Rank	Event	Year	Location
World Championships
3	Singles - Class 1	2018	Lasko, SLO
3	Team - Class 1	2017	Bratislava, SVK
European Championships
2	Singles - Class 1	2017	Lasko, SLO
5	Singles - Class 1	2019	Helsingborg, SWE

Tom (Instagram profile, 31 Jan 2021)

Occupation:

College of the Valleys, Great Britain

Languages spoken:

Neil Robinson [national], GBR

In 2016 he sustained a broken femur, which prevented him from competing for much of that year. (walesonline.co.uk, 22 Dec 2016)

He took up the sport in 2012 at Rookwood Hospital in Cardiff, Wales. (walesonline.co.uk, 22 Dec 2016)

He was encouraged to take up the sport by British Para table tennis player Jim Munkley. "It was all Jim's fault. I was just lying in bed in hospital and he used to come round the wards and try to get people involved in table tennis as they had a table in the hospital. He kept coming round and I kept telling him to go away as all I wanted was to get back on my bike. In the end I gave in just to shut him up really and I fell in love with it." (walesonline.co.uk, 22 Dec 2016; British Para Table Tennis Facebook page, 29 Jun 2020)

To compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (Just Ask - Disability Sport Wales NYB Podcast, 24 Jul 2020)

He trains around 36 hours a week. (The Mindset Athlete Podcast, 01 Apr 2018)

British Para table tennis player Jim Munkley, who passed away in 2017. "I do not know where I would be without Jim. He showed me there was a life after my accident and has taught me everything I know since my injury. Jim inspired and transformed people's lives, he was a role model and legend who will be greatly missed." (Just Ask - Disability Sport Wales NYB Podcast, 24 Jul 2020; disabilitysportwales.com, 16 Oct 2017)

Philosophy:

"You can go two ways. You can either go a negative way about things or you can try and stay positive and see ways out." (British Para Table Tennis Facebook page, 29 Jun 2020)

General Interest

Classification
TT1 (ipttc.org, 01 Apr 2020)

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries (disabilitysportwales.blogspot.com, 02 Jul 2012)

Impairment Details
In March 2008 he fractured his sixth cervical vertebra in a mountain bike accident. "I hit a jump and didn't clear the whole jump, my back wheel hit the landing and I got thrown over the handle bars, I closed my eyes and just remember hearing a huge crunch. I was lying on the floor and trying to move my legs to get back up and they wouldn't move, I touched my chest but I couldn't feel anything." (disabilitysportwales.blogspot.com, 02 Jul 2012)

Social Media

Legend

:: Bronze Medal
:: Gold Medal Event
:: Silver Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event

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