On his Paralympic debut Paralympian #230 Matthew Britz performed with distinction succumbing narrowly by three games to two in his round of 16 match at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Raised in Taranaki, the 20-year-old Kiwi reflects on some key learnings from his experiences in the French capital.
While Matt Britz was blown away by the atmosphere at the South Paris Arena at the Paris Paralympic Games – “It took me aback. I did not expect the crowd to be so loud” – he quickly become accustomed to the noise and focused on his game.
Adapting rapidly to the intense atmosphere and volume on his first ever competitive appearance at a Paralympic Games was one key learning he took from Paris 2024 while another was understanding what it takes off court to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
“I got to see the high-class athletes training,” he explains. “Having greater knowledge of their training schedule and watching them in the gym gave me a clear understanding of what it takes to compete at this level.
“What makes these guys so great is they put into their sport as much off the court as on it. They focus on nutrition, the gym and regular physio to get strong. I have been very good at focusing on my on court work and technique but these guys are putting in blood, sweat and tears off the court too. It is an area I’m improving, and I’m getting their slowly but I have more work ahead of me. One of the goals leading into Los Angeles 2028 is developing my physical strength. Once I’m developed physically, I feel like nothing will stop me.”
Off the court Matt is a quiet, polite person but naturally introverted. However, at Paris 2024 he decided to step out of his comfort zone and be more social and he was proud of the attitude he adopted.
“I took the Paralympic Games as a great opportunity to get to know my New Zealand team-mates and it was such an awesome experience because everyone was so welcoming.
“I got the opportunity to watch the swimming finals of Cam Leslie and Gaby Smith and it was cool to spend more time getting to know them in an Irish pub after the Games. When you are around other athletes all you want to do is learn from them and I felt like I could learn from each and every person I met because they were not only sports people but also disabled like me.
“I enjoy swimming and to watch how fast Cameron goes and compete at such a high level was very impressive. It was great to be around him and get an understanding of his mindset and mentality.”
