1. Matthew Haanappel was born in Wantirna, Victoria and resides in the far eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
39 Facts About Matthew Haanappel
1. 2.
Matthew Haanappel was born on 21 May 1994, with cerebral palsy right hemiplegia as a result of a prenatal stroke.
3.
Matthew Haanappel attended the Cerebral Palsy Education Centre in Melbourne as a child, and is an ambassador of the organisation.
4.
Matthew Haanappel comes from a family with a strong sporting background.
5.
Matthew Haanappel's father Shane is an Australian basketball representative, his brother Adam is an international tennis player, and he is the cousin of retired cyclist Cadel Evans.
6.
Matthew Haanappel was a student at Croydon Secondary College from 2008 to 2011.
7.
Matthew Haanappel is an ambassador and advocate for Sport in Victoria, which promotes physical activity and sporting excellence through students in public schools within Victoria.
8.
Matthew Haanappel is an S6 classified swimmer competing in 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley.
9.
Matthew Haanappel was reclassified in early 2012, having previously competed in S7 events.
10.
Matthew Haanappel continues to mentor young swimmers at Lilydale Swimming Club.
11.
Matthew Haanappel started swimming in 2005 at the Lilydale Swimming Club.
12.
Matthew Haanappel competed at his first competition, the 2005 Victorian Primary School Swimming Championships where he false started at his first ever race.
13.
At age 13, Matthew Haanappel put his swimming on hold to move with his family to Port Vila, Vanuatu.
14.
Midway through 2008, Matthew Haanappel decided to rejoin the Lilydale Swimming Club under his old coach Anne Longridge, but after a short period was promoted to the Junior and Senior State Squad under the instruction of Neil and Michael Davis.
15.
Matthew Haanappel was selected to represent Victoria at the 2008 Pacific School Games in Canberra, receiving silver and bronze medals.
16.
In 2009, Matthew Haanappel broke Australian Age Disability Records with Swimming Australia.
17.
Matthew Haanappel was selected as the Victorian representative for the School Sport Australia Swimming Championships.
18.
Subsequently, Matthew Haanappel switched coaches to Lawrence Krauter at Lilydale Swimming Club.
19.
Matthew Haanappel competed in his first national championship in 2010 and was selected for the Australian Youth Team.
20.
Matthew Haanappel moved in late 2010 to the Nunawading Swimming Club to join Amanda Isaac and Rohan Taylor at the club's Victorian Institute of Sport High Performance Program.
21.
Matthew Haanappel travelled to Germany for his second Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaften in Berlin, achieving three gold medals.
22.
In early 2012 prior to the Paralympic Selection Trials, Matthew Haanappel trained at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs alongside Michael Phelps.
23.
Matthew Haanappel was selected for his fourth Victoria School Swimming Team in 2012, and was selected to the position of male team captain for the championships.
24.
Matthew Haanappel was the first AWD student to have held the role of Male Captain.
25.
In June 2012, Matthew Haanappel was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in the 200m individual medley, 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 50m butterfly, the 50m freestyle events.
26.
Towards the end of 2012, after a break from training, Matthew Haanappel returned under the coaching of Jonathan Shaw at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
27.
In 2013, Matthew Haanappel continued training at the University of the Sunshine Coast through to May when he returned to Melbourne and trained at the DVE Aquatic Club, under the instruction of Brian Miller.
28.
Matthew Haanappel was selected to the Australian Paralympic Swim Team to compete at the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships in Montreal.
29.
Matthew Haanappel won a bronze medal in the Men's 100 m Freestyle S6.
30.
In 2014, Matthew Haanappel moved to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra to join the Swimming Australia National Training Centre.
31.
Matthew Haanappel was selected to the Australian Teams attending the Brazilian National Championships and the Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships, where he won three Gold, two Silver and one Bronze medal.
32.
Matthew Haanappel did not swim the end of year's National Short Course Championships.
33.
Matthew Haanappel contested the 2016 Australian Swimming Championships incorporating the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team Trials.
34.
Matthew Haanappel was selected to the Australian Dolphins National Swim Team and listed as an emergency for the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team.
35.
Matthew Haanappel was called up for formal selection in the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team in August after a nominated athlete was withdrawn.
36.
Matthew Haanappel was then assigned to Swimming Victoria State Team Coach, Michal Skrodzki for his preparation towards the Rio Games.
37.
At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Matthew Haanappel competed in five events.
38.
Matthew Haanappel placed sixth in Mixed 4 x 50m Freestyle, sixth in 100m Freestyle S6 and fifth in Men's 50m Freestyle S6.
39.
Matthew Haanappel competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the 50 metre Freestyle S7, placing 6th.