Matt Cowdrey

Matthew John Cowdrey (born 22 December 1988) is an Australian politician and Paralympic swimmer.

[2] Cowdrey contested and won the seat of Colton at the 2018 state election in South Australia for the Liberal Party.

[3] Cowdrey was born on 22 December 1988[4] with part of his arm missing[5] due to a congenital amputation.

[7] In April 2015, Cowdrey graduated from the University of Adelaide with a double degree in law and media.

[15] At the 2006 Commonwealth Games Trials – Team Qualification Races, he won a gold medal and set a world record in the 100-metre freestyle Elite Athlete with a Disability (EAD) event, and won a gold medal in the 50-metre freestyle (EAD) event.

[4] He was Australia's only male non-relay individual swimming gold medalist in the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

[16] At the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships, in Durban, South Africa, Cowdrey won gold medals in five events: the 50-metre freestyle S9, the 100-metre freestyle S9, the 100-metre butterfly S9, the 200-metre individual medley SM9, and the 4×100-metre medley relay (34 points).

[20] At the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, he won a gold medal in the 50-metre freestyle S9 event in a world record time of 25.33 seconds, which is still standing as of February 2012.

[24] He won a gold medal in the SB8 100-metre breaststroke, with the fourth fastest time posted for the event during 2011 at 1:12.85.

He was back living in Glenelg and training at the South Australian Aquatic Centre.

[32] In 2017, Cowdrey was preselected to run for the Liberal Party in the Labor-held seat of Colton at the 2018 state election in South Australia.

In April 2022 new Liberal leader David Speirs promoted him to the Opposition frontbench as Shadow Treasurer.

[15] In 2006, Cowdrey won the Commonwealth Sports Award in the category of male Elite Athlete with a Disability (EAD).

[37] In 2012, The South Australia Aquatic & Leisure Centre decided to name its main competition pool after Cowdrey.

[39] In October 2014, he was inducted into the Path of Champions at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

Cowdrey at the 2012 London Paralympics
Cowdrey, gold medallist, at the 2012 London Paralympics
Cowdrey at the 2012 London Paralympics
Cowdrey receiving a special presentation at the 2012 Australian Paralympian of the Year ceremony, in recognition of his achievement of winning more Paralympic gold medals than any other Australian