 Outstanding ACA & New Zealand athlete, Matthew Lack
 Matthew in action on the track for ACA
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ACA athlete Matthew Lack is going places fast – over distances ranging from 100 metres to the half marathon.
Like most young Kiwis, Matthew has been into sport since he was quite young. Basketball, discus, shotput, javelin, swimming and being in the outdoors have all been part of his sporting life.
But that changed when he attended a coaching clinic as a 12-year-old. There he met his coach, Blanche Herbert, who introduced him to wheelchair racing. One spin around the track and Matthew was hooked. Not content to wait for his own racing wheelchair he borrowed one so he could get out there and compete. And he really hasn’t looked back since he started.
During 2008-09 Matthew has competed in the USA, Switzerland and New Zealand very successfully. He competes in the T54 Class, and his results include:
- Cedartown 5K Road Race - 10 minutes 52.7 seconds, 1st U23, 6th overall.
- Peachtree 10K Road Race - 21 minutes 58.0 seconds, 1st U19, 13th overall.
- 100 metres - 15.85 seconds
- 200 metres - 29.42 seconds
- 400 metres - 52.79 seconds
- 800 metres - 1 minute 46.80 seconds
- 1500 metres - 3 minutes 18.60 seconds
- 5000 metres - 11 minutes 25.36 seconds
At the IWAS World Junior Games in Switzerland Matthew achieved some great milestones and, for good measure, world records in the U20 age group.
- 5k: 1st, Personal Best and World Record time
- 100 metres: 4th
- 200 metres: 3rd
- 400 metres: 3rd, PB
- 800 metres: 2nd
- 1500 metres: 1st, PB and World Record
Matthew competed in his first half marathon in Morrinsville in late October and was 17 seconds off the Paralympics NZ U19 record for this event, posting a time of 59 minutes 34 seconds.
On the World Rankings Matthew is currently 1st in the 1500m, 5000m and 10k Road, and holds another two World Records on the 1500 and 5000 metre events. Then he has a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the 800, 400, 200 and 100 metre events.
The next few months are going to be busy for Matthew and Blanche. But as she says “Matthew’s potential is huge. He has the physique, strength, power and resilience to bounce back quickly. He takes everything in his stride and is a relaxed racer.”
He will need all these attributes as he has several major goals for the current Track & Field season:
- Claim the two NZ Junior Records he doesn’t hold – the 400 metres and Half Marathon.
- Compete in the NZ T&F Championships in Christchurch, where he hopes to set some new PBs and qualify for the IPC World Championships in January 2011.
- Compete in the Down Under Series in Australia during January 2010.
- Defend his title in the Oz Day 10k Road Race.
- Head back to the USA for the Cedartown 5k and Peachtree 10k.
- Then there is the next World Juniors and the big goal of the Paralympic Games in London 2012. Oh yes, Matthew is also aiming to break the Senior PNZ Records for the 800, 1500 and 5k Track events as a part of that buildup.
Anyone willing to lay odds he won’t achieve his goals and his dreams? If determination and hard work are any measure, then he will. He's already represented New Zealand with great distinction, and we wish him every success in his continuing efforts to represent and win for his country at the highest level.
