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  • Disability Inclusion Author Talk Series: Matt Levy OAM PLY 'Going the Distance'

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    Text in caption below. Photo of Matt Levy, a young athlete with disability. Matt has short wavy brown hair and wears a blue collared sweater, he looks to the front and smiles for the camera.


    Inclusive Futures: Reimagining Disability invites you to attend our Author Talk event on disability and resilience, with esteemed guest Matt Levy OAM PLY, Australian paralympian and author of Going the Distance.

    In 1987, Matt Levy was born prematurely at 25 weeks. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and severe visual impairment and has undergone 40-50 surgeries on vital organs. Matt’s determination and resilience led him to a career in swimming, where he proudly clinched gold for Australia at the Paralympic Games.

    Representing his nation at five consecutive Paralympic Games, Matt has won 3 gold, 1 silver, and 5 bronze medals. His dominance extends further, having graced the pools at five World Swimming Championships, securing 20 international medals and holding 4 World Records.

    Matt’s contributions to sport were honoured with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2014 for ‘service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. In 2015 Matt was named Athlete of the Year with a Disability at the New South Wales Sports Awards and in 2018 he was named Swimming Australia’s Paralympic Program Swimmer of the Year. In November 2021, he received a New South Wales Institute of Sport Academic Excellence Award and was named the 2021 Sport NSW Athlete of the Year with a Disability.

    Since retiring from the pool, Matt has authored 3 books, including: ‘Keeping your head above water’ (2020), ‘Brandon Dreams Big: 7 easy steps to get where you want’ (2021), and ‘Going the distance: Identify and create your own lane to success’ (2023). More recently, Matt has turned his hand to philanthropy and supporting young people with disability to achieve their own dreams and goals through education, including becoming a patron of the Griffith University Matt Levy Inclusive Futures Scholarship.

    Event Details

    Date:     Tuesday, 27 February 2024

    Time: 11.20am – 12.30pm

    Venue: N53, -1.22 Nathan Campus, Griffith University

    Map: https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/244976/nathan-campus-map.pdf

    Accessibility: This event will be accessible including being held in an accessible space, complete with accessible parking (limited), live captioning, Auslan Interpreting, and with a PowerPoint which can be shared ahead of the presentation. A transcript will be available after the event. Please note any accessibility or dietary requirements on your registration.

    RSVP:
    Please confirm your attendance before Thursday, 22 February 2024.

    Click on this link to register your interest or use the QR Code below.

    Contact us:

    inclusivefutures@griffith.edu.au


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