Tokyo Paralympics: Swimmer Matt Levy has high hopes at record-equalling fifth games

He went to his first Paralympics 17 years ago. Now he’s more than double the age of his youngest teammate in a swim team out to make a splash in Tokyo.

When Matt Levy went to his first Paralympics Snoop Dogg ruled the charts, social media barely existed and he didn’t have a mobile phone.

Any calls home the then Sydney teenager made were on a phone card on a public telephone at the Athens Games in 2004.

“It was certainly different from now,” said Levy, who will become only the second ever Australian to compete in swimming at five Paralympic Games in Tokyo. “We just did what we did.

“There’s a lot more attention now, a bit more pressure as well.”

Matthew Levy after winning gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

But after 17 years of competing at the highest level, Commonwealth Games champion Levy is well versed in dealing with pressure situations and is returning to the Paralympic arena because he feels his best times and performances are still ahead of him.

“I saw improvement in myself and I still have a passion and a drive to succeed,” said Levy, who works at Westpac in Canberra as a change manager.

“That’s the reason I’m still here. As long as I still feel I am competitive I will train hard and race hard.”

The Games will be the most watched in history, social media will be swarming with photos and stories and Australians will be viewing sport in record numbers as coronavirus lockdowns continue across the country.

Australian Paralympians are keen to capitalise on the situation and introduce their sports, feats and backstories to a whole new audience.

Matt Levy soaks up a win in the pool.

At 34 Levy, who grew up training at North Sydney pool, is the oldest member of the swim team heading to Tokyo.

Levy, who grew up at Northbridge and lived at Cremorne before his recent move to Canberra, said he’s up for the challenge of competing at what will be the strangest Paralympic Games in history after already spending six weeks on the road dodging state border closures to ensure he is able to prepare as best he can for the Games.

“It’s pretty out there because no one knows what their competition has done or hasn’t done for so long,” said Levy, who was born 25 weeks premature with cerebral palsy and is legally blind.

“I just want to see how fast I can swim and enjoy myself doing it.

“This is about showing the general public there is more to like about our sport and to bring pride to Australia.”

Levy was the youngest member of the Australian swim team at his first Paralympics and four years later won his first gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay.

His best result came at the 2012 London Games where he swam off with a gold, silver and three bronzes

In Rio he added another bronze to his hole in the 200m individual medley.

Matt Levy shows off his Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Matthew Levy has spent the last six weeks on the road dodging state border closures to ensure he is well prepared for the Games.

After around 50 operations on his heart, lungs, brain and ears, and told he would never walk properly or here without hearing aids, Levy has spent his life proving the experts wrong.

He has a Masters degree in leadership innovation, business administration and management, an OAM, is an author of Keeping Your Head Above Water and is 19 years older than the youngest member of the 32 strong swimming squad, 15-year-old Isabella Vincent.

In Tokyo he will race freestyle, butterfly and medley races.

Australia is sending a team of 179 athletes to the Tokyo games and will compete in 18 of the 22 sports.

It is the largest Australian team ever sent to an overseas Paralympics, exceeding the previous record of 175 in Rio in 2016.

Almost half the athletes competing in Tokyo will be making their Games debuts.

The opening ceremony for the Games is on August 24 and the Closing on September 5.

Originally published as Tokyo Paralympics: Swimmer Matt Levy has high hopes at record-equalling fifth games