Matthew Chimu is an aspiring lifesaver after migrating from the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo

WHEN he fled the Democratic Republic of Congo, Matthew Chimu came to Australia and couldn’t swim or speak English. Now he’s a lifesaver with a dream.

Matthew Chimu came from Africa and now is a fully-fledged lifesaver.

ADELAIDE’S first African-born surf life saver was just 14 when he was forced to flee with his brother and sister as rebel soldiers swept into their hometown in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.

“We had to run — we had to leave our parents, leave our family and just go,” says Matthew Chimu.

After a harrowing journey, the trio finally arrived in Adelaide in 2009.

“We could not speak a word of English,” says Matthew, now 22.

“We had to learn everything from nothing; how to fit into Australian society, how to communicate properly.”

And — importantly for Matthew — how to swim.

“When I first came to Australia,” he recalls, “I could not swim even 1m in a pool.”

Looking for a way to honour to the country that had given him a new beginning, Matthew noted news reports of people drowning on Adelaide’s beaches.

“Lots of them were foreigners, refugees like me,” he says. “I decided that was how I was going to give back.”

Today the Australian of the Day is a fully qualified lifesaver with the Henley Surf Life-Saving Club. “Now I can swim 400m non-stop,” says Matthew, who is studying for a bachelor of aviation.

“Being a lifesaver helped me to improve my English real quick and helped me integrate into Australian society. That’s why I always want to give back; to help other migrant people to be safe at the beach and also to keep them out of the street.”

Matthew says learning to swim and help others has also given him confidence, something that’s reflected in his ambitions.

“I don’t just want to become a pilot, I want to have my own airline company,” he says.

“But I would still be with the surf club.”

There are plenty of unsung people who walk among us. Now CommBank — together with News Corp Australia — have partnered together in a program simply called Australian of the Day. The initiative is there to recognise those who fly under the radar but who do incredible things which inspire us all. Go to the australianoftheday.com.au website to read their amazing stories.