Matthew Cowdrey
Encyclopedia
Matthew John Cowdrey OAM
(born 22 December 1988) is an Australian swimmer and holder of numerous world record
s. He lives in South Australia and swims for the Norwood Swimming Club. He has a congenital amputation of his left arm; it stops at the elbow. Cowdrey competed at the 2004 Paralympic Games, 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 2008 Paralympic Games. In the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, Cowdrey came back to Australia with a total of 8 medals.
. Other sports he has played when he was younger was basketball. In 2010, he lived in Salisbury Heights, South Australia
, and was studying law and media at the University of Adelaide
. He moved to Canberra, Australian Capital Territory and started swimming for the Australian Institute of Sport
, while continuing to represent the Norwood Swimming Club of Adelaide on the club level. In 2011, he also represented Kawana Waters Swimming Club. , he was studying law at the Australian National University
. He is 182cm tall and weighs 76kg. One of his heroes is Peter Bishop, his coach. His favourite sport team is New York Giants
and his favourite movie is Anchorman. His favourite television shows are Entourage
and The West Wing.
Cowdrey competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne, Victoria, where he set two world records and won gold medals in the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle events. He was Australia's only male non-relay individual swimming gold medalist the the 2006 Commonwealth Games. At the 2006 World Championships, he set three world records while earning three gold medals, two silver medals and bronze. In 2008, at the Australian Swimming Championships, he earned gold medals four events:the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m Butterfly. At those same games, he earned two silver medals in the 200m individual medley and 400m freestyle events. These Games had limited opportunities for Paralympic swimmers as not all events were on the event programme.
, Cowdrey picked up five gold medals in the 50 m freestyle-S9, 100 m freestyle-S9, 100 m backstroke-S9, 200 m individual medley-SM9 and 4×100 m medley Relay events. He picked up three silver medals in the 100 m butterfly-S9, 400 m freestyle-S9 and 4×100 m freestyle relay events. In Beijing, he set five world records. He also carried Australia's flag during the closing ceremonies for the Games.
has named him their "World Swimmer of the Year with a Disability." In 2009, he was named the Young South Australian of the Year.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 22 December 1988) is an Australian swimmer and holder of numerous world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
s. He lives in South Australia and swims for the Norwood Swimming Club. He has a congenital amputation of his left arm; it stops at the elbow. Cowdrey competed at the 2004 Paralympic Games, 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 2008 Paralympic Games. In the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, Cowdrey came back to Australia with a total of 8 medals.
Personal
Cowdrey was born on 22 December 1988 with part of his arm missing as a result of a congenital amputationCongenital amputation
Congenital amputation is a congenital disorder that can be caused by fibrous bands of the amnion that constrict foetal limbs to such an extent that they fall off due to missing blood supply. The child is born without one or more limbs or without parts of limbs .-Causes:Congenital amputations can...
. Other sports he has played when he was younger was basketball. In 2010, he lived in Salisbury Heights, South Australia
Salisbury Heights, South Australia
Salisbury Heights is a suburb located in the City of Salisbury, Adelaide, South Australia. The upper section of Salisbury Heights was originally established as Castieu Estate in the 1970s by a private consortium. The blocks of land in this area were typically much larger than surrounding suburbs...
, and was studying law and media at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
. He moved to Canberra, Australian Capital Territory and started swimming for the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
, while continuing to represent the Norwood Swimming Club of Adelaide on the club level. In 2011, he also represented Kawana Waters Swimming Club. , he was studying law at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
. He is 182cm tall and weighs 76kg. One of his heroes is Peter Bishop, his coach. His favourite sport team is New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and his favourite movie is Anchorman. His favourite television shows are Entourage
Entourage
An entourage is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a famous, notorious or otherwise notable individual...
and The West Wing.
Swimming
Cowdrey competes in the International Paralympic Committee's S9 (freestyle, backstroke and butterfly) SB9 (breaststroke) and SM9 (individual medley) classifications; which comprise swimmers with a severe leg weakness, swimmers with slight coordination problems and swimmers with one limb loss.His parents first put him in the water when he was six months old, as part of child water safety effort. Cowdrey started swimming when he was five years old. He started competitive swimming in 1994. He broke his first Australian open record when he was eleven years old. He set his first world record thirteen.2004
Cowdrey was one of the youngest Australian competitors at the 2004 Paralympics. He earned a gold medal in the first Games he competed at in the Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 event. At the same 2004 Games, he also won gold medals in the 100 m freestyle S9 event and 200 m individual medley SM9 event. He picked up silvers in the 100 m butterfly S9 and 4×100 m freestyle Relay events. He picked up bronze medals at the 2004 Games in the 50 m freestyle-S9 and 400 m freestyle-S9 events.2005
At the 2005 Australian Open, Cowdrey earned seven gold medals while setting two world records, and earned two bronze medals.2006
At the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Trials, Cowdrey set world records and won gold medals in four events: The 200m individual medley mixed disability classification, 100m backstroke mixed disability classification, 50m backstroke mixed disability classification and 50m butterfly mixed disability classification events. He did not set world records but still earned gold medals in two events: The 100m freestyle mixed disability classification and 50m Freestyle mixed disability classification events. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games Trials - Team Qualification Races, he earned a gold medal and set a world record in the 100m freestyle Elite Athlete with a Disability (EAD) event, and earned a gold medal in the 50m freestyle (EAD) event.Cowdrey competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
in Melbourne, Victoria, where he set two world records and won gold medals in the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle events. He was Australia's only male non-relay individual swimming gold medalist the the 2006 Commonwealth Games. At the 2006 World Championships, he set three world records while earning three gold medals, two silver medals and bronze. In 2008, at the Australian Swimming Championships, he earned gold medals four events:the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m Butterfly. At those same games, he earned two silver medals in the 200m individual medley and 400m freestyle events. These Games had limited opportunities for Paralympic swimmers as not all events were on the event programme.
2008
At the 2008 Summer Paralympics2008 Summer Paralympics
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
, Cowdrey picked up five gold medals in the 50 m freestyle-S9, 100 m freestyle-S9, 100 m backstroke-S9, 200 m individual medley-SM9 and 4×100 m medley Relay events. He picked up three silver medals in the 100 m butterfly-S9, 400 m freestyle-S9 and 4×100 m freestyle relay events. In Beijing, he set five world records. He also carried Australia's flag during the closing ceremonies for the Games.
2009
At the 2009 IPC World Championships in Brazil, Cowdrey earned five gold medals and two silver medals. In 2009, he competed in his first international competition against able bodied swimmers. The competition was in Tucson, Arizona.2010
At the 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships, Cowdrey, who was classified as an S9 swimmer, won six gold medals and one silver medal. One of the medals was in the men's 4x100m relay raced.2011
In July 2011, he participated at the Australian Short Course Championships. In August 2011, he participated in the Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships. In October 2011, he participated at the 2011 Swimmeroo QLD Long Course.Recognition
In 2004, at the Australian Paralympian of the Year Awards, he was named the Young Paralympian of the Year. In 2005, he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in recognition of his success at the 2004 Paralympic Games. In 2006, Cowdrey was earned the Commonwealth Sports Award in the category of male Elite Athlete with a Disability (EAD).Swimming Australia named him their Swimmer of the Year with a Disability for four years in a row, from 2004 to 2007. He was also named to Swimming Australia's All-Star Swim Team in 2006 and 2007. Swimming World MagazineSwimming World magazine
Swimming World Magazine is an American-based monthly swimming magazine, that was first published in a magazine format as Junior Swimmer in January of 1960...
has named him their "World Swimmer of the Year with a Disability." In 2009, he was named the Young South Australian of the Year.
External links
- Layman's Guide to Classifications by IPC Swimming.
- Matthew Cowdrey, Aquatic Management Group