Paralympian #230 Matthew Britz believes changes away from the table can stand him in good stead this week as he prepares for the 2026 ITTF World Para Table Tennis Championships in Pattaya, Thailand (13-19 November).
The 23-year-old US-based player, who bowed out in the round of 16 in the Men’s Singles Class 7 event at Paris 2024, has built impressive momentum since the Games. This year, Britz claimed the Men’s Singles Class 7 title at the ITTF World Para Future event on the Gold Coast and reached the Men’s Singles Class 7 quarter finals at three further ITTF events in Santiago, Sao Paulo, and Spokane.
The New Plymouth-raised Para athlete is aiming for a strong showing on his World Championships debut — and he credits his growth to the support network he has tapped into away from the table.
“With the help of High Performance Sport New Zealand, I’ve got a lot better at managing myself and figuring out how to navigate life a bit more,” admits Britz, who lives and trains with the US Para table tennis squad in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“My HPSNZ athlete life coach, Nicola Lewis-Clifford, and nutritionist, Jeni Pearce, have opened my eyes to the bigger picture. I’ve learned how to cook and take better care of myself. You can learn all the table tennis skills and tricks, but those extras like better nutrition make a massive difference to your performance at the table.”
As part of his new routine, Britz has largely traded his fondness for KFC for a more balanced diet, even drawing on his mother’s recipes — with chicken tikka masala becoming a particular favourite.
Training six days a week for up to four hours a day in North Carolina is a gruelling schedule. To build resilience against the heavy training load, Britz introduced targeted strength and conditioning work into his programme.
“With my disability (Bailey-Bloch congenital myopathy), I can’t build muscle, but I have discovered this year that I can build strength,” he explains. “At home, I do a routine of push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks. I can cope much better with long training sessions now, and I’m also less fatigued after long-haul flights. Recently, when returning to New Zealand from the US, I was back on the table playing within a few hours—something I never used to be able to do.”
Britz has also taken valuable mental lessons from his international campaigns this year. Heading into his most recent tournament, the ITTF World Para Challenger in Spokane, Washington, he felt well prepared. However, a costly mental error in his quarter-final against Ireland’s Patrick Vaughan saw him surrender a two-game lead.
“I rushed things mentally,” Britz reflects. “I was 2-0 up and already thinking about the semi-final. Then I let it slip, and my opponent went on to win 3-2. It was a steep learning curve that taught me nothing in sport is guaranteed.”
Britz will be joined on the New Zealand team in Thailand by fellow Paralympian #126 Tim Johnson PLY MNZM. Johnson, a Wheelchair rugby legend who won gold with the Wheel Blacks at Athens 2004, has since transitioned to Para table tennis. Britz has relished the opportunity to lean on his teammate’s wealth of elite experience.
“It’s fantastic to hang out with Tim,” says Britz. “He has taught me the importance of knowing who you are as a person, and reminding me that in the heat of battle, it’s really just you against yourself.”
Now, the focus shifts to Thailand, where Britz is eager to compete on the world stage in front of a passionate crowd.
“Tim and I will be the first New Zealanders to ever compete at a World Para Table Tennis Championships, which is an incredible feeling. It’s a great chance to scope out the top contenders ahead of LA28.
“First, I want to get past my opening match. From there, I’d love to make the podium —and, of course, at some point love to get some revenge on Thailand’s Chalermpong Punpoo, who beat me in the round of 16 in Paris.”
***For full results and updates go here.
***The 2026 ITTF World Para Table Tennis Championships is livestreamed here.
