Matthew Haanappel

Personal

Haanappel was born on 21 May 1994 in Wantirna, Victoria. He resides as of 2015 in Croydon Hills, Victoria.

Diagnosed at four months of age, Matthew has Cerebral Palsy Right Hemiplegia as a result of a prenatal stroke at around 20 weeks of pregnancy, he was born full term. His disability means it takes him extra effort to do things like tie his shoes, as his fine motor skills and dexterity are severely reduced from the spasticity in his right hand.

Haanappel, along with his brother were enrolled in learn to swim from an early age. His parents said that if they did not learn how to swim then they would not be allowed to go to the beach, or be on the family boat of which they both spent a lot of their childhood on.

Haanappel learned to swim in a specialised disability learn to swim program in Kilsyth, Victoria.

Haanappel comes from a family with a strong sporting background, his father, Shane is an Australian basketball representative, his first cousin is retired Australian cyclist Cadel Evans and his brother, Adam Haanappel is an international tennis player. Haanappel is also a distant relative of Dutch Olympic figure skater Joan Haanappel.

Haanappel was a student at Croydon Secondary College from 2008 till 2011. During 2012, he deferred his VCE in order to spend more time training

In 2013, Matthew returned as a student at Melba College, to complete his VCE.

Matthew attended the Cerebral Palsy Education Centre as a child in 1998 and 1999. Today, Matthew is an ambassador of the organisation.

Haanappel is also an ambassador and advocate for Sport Sport in Victoria, which promotes physical activity and sporting excellence through students in public schools within Victoria.

Swimming

He is an S6 classified swimmer competing in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m Butterfly, 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley events. He was reclassified early 2012, having competed in S7 events since the beginning of his swimming career.

As of 2015, He is a full-time member of the Australian Institute of Sport Paralympic Swimming Program and is also a member of the Melbourne Vicentre Swimming Club when he trains in Melbourne.

Haanappel still has an ongoing role at the Lilydale Swimming Club as a mentor to its young group of swimmers. Internationally, he mostly competes against competitors in his own classification, but domestically he competes against swimmers in all disability classes and sometimes against able bodied swimmers in club and state level competitions.

2005

Haanappel started swimming in 2005 at the Lilydale Swimming Club.. First coached by Swimming Victoria SWD Head Coach Karen Garrard and also the clubs junior level coach Anne Longridge. Haanappel's swimming ability helped quickly advanced his way through the junior squads at the club . He competed at his first competition, the 2005 Victorian Primary School Swimming Championships where he false started at his first ever race.

2006

Haanappel at age 13 put his swimming on hold to move with his family to Port Vila, Vanuatu for his father's work. Haanappel while living in Port Vila took up Tennis and became involved with Wheelchair Tennis through the Vanuatu Paralympic Committee. Haanappel attended the Port Vila International School while living in the country.

2007

Haanappel continued taking part in Wheelchair Tennis and returned to Australia late in 2007.

2008

Haanappel after the return to Australia late in 2007 was given the tough decision whether to continue Wheelchair Tennis or resume his Swimming Career. Mid way through 2008, 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 due to the rapid depreciation of his times. Haanappel was selected to represent Victoria at the 2008 Pacific School Games in Canberra returning home with a silver and bronze medal.

2009

In 2009, Haanappel made his mark on the Swimming Australia record books by smashing Australian Age Disability Records. Haanappel was selected for his second School Sport Victoria Team to the School Sport Australia Swimming Championships held in Perth. On returning from the Victorian team, Haanappel switched coaches to Lawrence Krauter at the Lilydale Swimming Club.

2010

Haanappel appeared at his first national championships in 2010 and was selected to the Australian Youth Team. At his first international trip at the 2010 Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaften in Berlin, he earned a silver medal in the 50m Youth Butterfly. 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.

2011

As an Age competitor he had three first-place finishes, two second-place finished and three third-place finishes at the 2011 National Age Multi-Class Championships. He travelled to Germany for his second Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaften in Berlin achieving three gold medals.

2012

In early 2012 prior to the Paralympic Selection Trials, Haanappel trained at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs alongside Michael Phelps. Haanappel swam at the 2012 Paralympic Trials achieving three priority two selection times for the 2012 Team.

He was selected for his fourth Victoria School Swimming Team in 2012, and was selected to the position of male team captain for the championships. Haanappel was the first AWD student to have held the role of Male Captain.

Matthew was officially selected in June 2012 to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in the 200m individual medley, 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 50m butterfly, the 50m freestyle events. Going into the London Games, he was ranked fourth in the world in the 50 metre freestyle event and third in the 200 metre individual medley. He participated in a relay training camp in July 2012 at the Australian Institute of Sport in preparation for the London 2012 Paralympics. His London training preparations on a weekly basis included twice a week pilates, three sessions in the gym and six sessions in the pool.

At the 2012 Summer Paralympics he won a gold medal in the Men's 4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay (34 points) and a bronze in the Men's 4 x 100 m Medley Relay (34 points).

Towards the end of 2012, Haanappel had returned to training after an extended break from the sport at the University of the Sunshine Coast Paralympic Swimming Program under the coaching of Jonathan Shaw.

2013

In 2013, 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 who was a coach on the Australian Team to the 2011 Para Pan Pacific Championships in Edmonton, Canada.

Haanappel was selected to the Australian Swimming Team to compete at the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships in Montreal, Canada. He won a bronze medal in the Men's 100 m Freestyle S6. In October, Haanappel moved to the Norwood Swimming Club in Adelaide to help grow a Paralympic Swimming Program at the club.

2014

In 2014, Haanappel moved to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra to join the Swimming Australia National Training Centre. He was selected to the Australian Teams attending the Brazilian National Championships and the Para Pan Pacific Championships which were held at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Centre in Pasadena, California. At the Para Pan Pacific Championships he won three Gold, two Silver and one Bronze medal.

After the Paralympic Pan Pacific Championships, Haanappel returned to Melbourne to undergo surgery on his left shoulder. He did not swim the end of year's National Short Course Championships.

2015

As of 2015, Haanappel is listed as a supported athlete at the Australian Institute of Sport under Yuriy Vdovychenko, however trains in Melbourne with Ringwood Swimming Club.

He did not contest the 2015 Australian Swimming Championships due to the lack of strength in his left shoulder post surgery.

2016

Haanappel contested the 2016 Australian Swimming Championships incorporating the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team Trials. He swam the 50m,100m Freestyle and 50m,100m Backstroke. After Trials, he was selected to the Australian Dolphins National Swim Team and listed as an emergency for the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team. Haanappel was called up for formal selection in the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team in August after a nominated athlete was withdrawn. After his formal selection in the Australian Team, Haanappel returned to Melbourne and was assigned to Swimming Victoria State Team Coach Michal Skrodzki for his preparation towards the Rio Games.

At the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, Haanappel competed in five events. He placed sixth in Mixed 4 x 50m Freestyle (20 points), sixth in 100m Freestyle S6 and fifth in Men's 50m Freestyle S6. He didn't qualify for the finals in the following events: Men's 400m Freestyle S6 and Men's 100m Backstroke S6.

In preparation for Rio, Haanappel says “I want to show everyone that people with disabilities can achieve things. If I can inspire our general population to do things like paint the bathroom they’ve been putting off for three months, or clean up the garage ... well, that’s why we do it.”

2017

Haanappel did not contest the 2017 Para World Swimming Championship trials in Brisbane, preferring to focus on 2018's Commonwealth Games. He currently swims under CA Tritons with Matthew Belgiovane at the Carey Grammar Sports Complex and Camberwell Grammar School.

Recognition

In 2010, Haanappel received the Leader Junior Sports Star Encouragement Award and won the main category Leader Senior Sports Star of the Year in 2012.

Haanappel has accepted many awards from School Sport Victoria, the AWD Award in 2008, the Swimming Award in 2012 as well as the Outstanding Sporting Achievement Award in the same year.

He was listed in the Australia Day Honours in the City of Manningham as a Young Leader for his service to the Australia community through sport.

In 2012 he won the Victorian Young Achievers Award for Sporting Excellence and gained a nomination for Victorian Young Achiever of the Year.

He was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the 2014 Australia Day Honours "for service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games."