Update 21 September August 2008

We would just like to say well done to Matthew Walker who won a fantastic 5 medals in 5 races at the Beijing Paralympics. Matthew, who is now 30 years old, achieved the following results:

GOLD in the 4x100m relay (World Record)
SILVER in the 50m ButterfFly
SILVER in the 50m Freestyle
BRONZE in the 200m IM
BRONZE in the 100m Freestyle

Matt arrived home Thursday night 18th September and we would just like him to know that Marple is very proud that he is a part of our community!

Update 31 August 2008

Just a reminder to everyone that Marple's very own Matthew Walker will soon be taking part in the Beijing 2008 Paralympics. Matthew will be competing in the following events:

Sunday 7th September - 200 IM 

Monday 8th September - 100 Freestyle 

Wednesday 10th September - Relay 

Saturday 13th September - 50 Butterfly 

Sunday 14th September - 50 Freestyle 

To read more about Matthew, visit the his entry on the ASA web site.

Update 9 April 2006

Further congratulations are due to Marple's Matt Walker, who broke the multi-disability 50m Freestyle World Record on Wednesday 5th April, setting a new best time of 28.54 seconds. If only he'd been able to achieve this at the games he would have come home with Gold! It does mean that Matt has posted a qualifying time for the European Championships in the summer, so he can now concentrate on his training and preparations for that event.

We met Matthew on Wednesday night at the Ring o' Bells and we were able to have a look at his medal and arranged for him to keep the banner from above the swimming pool as a souvenir.

25 March 2006
Marple's sporting hero Matthew Walker, who has recently added a 2006 Commonwealth bronze to his growing collection of medals, is due to return home from Melbourne on Tuesday.

We were approached this week by Rick Hardesty, of Marple Swimming Club, about helping to make a bit of a splash for Matt's return and to welcome him home by showing how proud the community is of his achievements.

We thought this was a great idea and were delighted to get involved. We understand that Matt doesn't like too much fuss and would not enjoy a big ceremony, so we have just erected a large banner above Marple Swimming Pool to welcome him home and congratulate him on behalf of the local community for his superb efforts in Australia.

Matthew, 27, who won gold and two silvers at the Athens Paralympics in 2004, has mild cerebral palsy. He was the only disabled swimmer in England to achieve the qualifying times for the 2006 Commonwealth Games and in Melbourne he competed in the 50m and 100m multi-disability freestyle events in the Elite Athletes with a Disability class, achieving a bronze and 5th place respectively.

The banner at Marple Swimming Pool was made by Capricorn Engraving
and paid for by Marple Promotions