Matt
Lewis

When Matt Lewis decided to make a bomb out of a small barbecue gas bottle, he never expected the events of that night to unfold the way they did.

The bomb, which was chock-full of explosive chemicals, detonated sooner than Matt expected, and threw him nearly two metres into the air.

He was airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he was placed in an induced coma for just over a month, and woke to discover both his legs had been amputated, some of his fingers had been replaced with his toes, and his hearing was impaired.

Over the following six months, Matt survived severe fevers, infections, and multiple operations.

After eight months in rehabilitation trying to rebuild his life, a chance encounter with Paralympic medallist Bryce Alman saw Matt set to work to become the superstar athlete he is today.

He made his international debut for the Australian wheelchair rugby team, the Steelers, in 2014, before achieving his goal of representing Australia at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, where he made history as a member of the first team in wheelchair rugby history to win consecutive Paralympic gold medals and a world championship title in a four-year period. After an unbeaten run to the final, Australia defeated the USA, 59-58, in a double-overtime thriller.

Without doubt, Matt says wheelchair rugby changed his life. He says it has given him a purpose and hope, kept him fit, introduced him to new people and opportunities, and allowed him to travel the world.

Off the court, Matt speaks to teens about the dangers of risk-taking and is training as an electrician.