Matthew
Cameron

Matthew’s talent and love for sport has earned him an incredible career in competitive sport.

Matthew Cameron has always used a wheelchair after being born with popliteal web syndrome, an extremely rare physical disability that doesn’t allow him to stand and has forced him to undergo 25 operations since birth. His career as an athlete began in wheelchair basketball, playing nationally and securing a scholarship under the North Queensland Sports Foundation. He delved into para-athletics in 2006, and quickly became an unstoppable T54 competitor.

Matthew made his Paralympic debut in Beijing’s 2008 games. In the 100m and 4 x 100m Relay, his team received received a hard blow after being disqualified after Cameron fell during the relay’s change over zone. He didn’t let this dampen his spirits, and still enjoyed the Beijing experience. He would make a come back in the 2011 National Championships, securing an incredible gold medal in the 100m and silver in the 200m. Returning to the Paralympics, he competed in the London 2012 Games, and secured Australia a bronze for the 4 x 400m on the international stage.

Matthew continues to be a beacon of good sportsman ship, and participated in the Sydney 2000 Olympic torch relay and in 2003 he was Townsville’s Australian Sportsperson of the Year.

Now, Matthew has completed two certificates from the Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE, one for business and the other for computer aided drafting. In his spare time, he likes nothing more than to be with friends or working his way through a steady stream of games on his Xbox.