Sporting Heroes Month: Matthew Mitcham
In association with MaxiNutrition
Olympic diving champ, gay sporting pioneer, Australian media darling and even cabaret performer – is there anything he can’t do? Ladies and gentlemen, Matthew Mitcham…
Top Sporting Achievement: Getting the highest single-dive score in Olympic history at the 2008 Beijing Olympics – suddenly, everyone knew the name ‘Matthew Mitcham’.
Better Half: As an openly gay Olympian, Matt was dating Lachlan Fletcher at the time of his Olympic gold medal win, and their relationship is now in its eighth year.
Best Attribute: His V-lines – ‘External obliques’, those muscles that are seen nowhere as perfectly as on divers.
Sporting Quote: “Until it is easy for sports people to come out without fear of persecution or fear of lost sponsorship income and stuff like that, or fear of being comfortable in the team environment, I don’t mind attention being brought to my sexuality in the hope that it might make other people feel more comfortable … in being comfortable enough about who they are in their sporting environment.”
Special Weapon: Matthew is a performer. It was his love of showmanship that got him noticed by a diving coach at a public swimming pool and he is currently starring in a one-man show about his life experiences.
Style: Being the true Aussie he is, Matt hangs up his Speedos for a pair of shorts and vest for a surfie beach bum style. And while it’s not for style, Matt’s rarely seen without his trusty ukelele nearby!
Pictured above: Matthew’s definitely the only athlete in Sporting Heroes Month to have his own ukelele-led cabaret show!
Training Tip: Matthew pushes himself hard, training 10 sessions a week, each lasting 2-3 hours.
In The Game: Matthew is the first Australian male to win an Olympic gold medal in diving since Dick Eve in 1924.
Wins: Gold – 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: 10m platform
Bronze – 2008 Rome World Championships: 1m springboard
Silver – 2010 Delhi 2014 Commonwealth Games: 1m springboard
Silver – 2010 Delhi 2014 Commonwealth Games: synchronised 3m springboard
Silver – 2010 Delhi 2014 Commonwealth Games: 10m platform
Silver – 2010 Delhi 2014 Commonwealth Games: synchronised 10m platform
Silver – 2014 Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games: 1m springboard
Silver – 2010 Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games: synchronised 3m springboard
Gold – 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: synchronised 10m platform
Attitude: “If people were going to support me at the Olympics, I wanted them to support me for who I was.”