Don and Lorraine Formston are justly proud of their son, champion tandem cyclist Matthew, who in less that two weeks will be competing in the event of his life.
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On September 14 the Nabiac couple and much of Australia will be sitting on the edge of their collective seats, cheering on Matthew as he competes in the first of his two events at this year's Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
He will compete in the one kilometre on opening day and then the four kilometre tandem sprint in the velodrome.
At 38-years old Matthew is a relative newcomer to this highly competitive and popular sport. His cycling journey began on a charity ride from Sydney to Melbourne back in 2009 raising money for the Macular Degeneration Foundation.
Matthew was diagnosed with the condition as a five-year-old, and his parents were told he would never achieve anything.
While doctors told the Formstons Matthew would amount to nothing, they forgot to tell Matthew.
His disability – legally blind with no central vision and just five per cent peripheral vision – has never stood in the way of Matthew's many sporting and personal achievements.
He has played ice hockey, rugby union and tackled both board riding and snow skiing proficiently and completed a Diploma of Heath Science. He works as an account executive with Optus
With his original tandem partner or pilot, Mick Curran, the pair was known as OzTandem.
The pilot is fully sighted and steers the bike.
Married to Bex with two young children, Matthew begins his daily training from 4.30am from his Wamberal home on the Central Coast before heading to work in Sydney.
He and new pilot Nick Yallouris also train at the Dunc Gray Velodrome, the site for cycling events during the Sydney Olympics. He is coached by Tom Skulander
The training regime is topped off with a few gym sessions and a workout on the stationary bike.
Leading up to his selection for this year's games Matthew finished first in the 2013 Tandem Road Race Para-cycling Road World Cup, in 2014, Matthew and Curran set a new world record in the Tandem Pursuit Para-cycling event and won the gold medal at the 2014 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
The pair competed in the 2015 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Appledoon, Netherlands and finished second in the Tandem B four kilometre pursuit.
In the months leading up to the games, Matthew has been training in Europe.
To say Lorraine and Don are delighted with their son's achievements is an understatement, but words cannot describe their enormous pride.
Jeanene Duncan
Jeanene has more than 40 years experience as a regional and rural journalist starting at The Land Newspaper. She also worked for Stock Journal Newspaper (SA), McPherson, Fairfax newspapers and Rural Press, and contributed to various magazines.
Jeanene has more than 40 years experience as a regional and rural journalist starting at The Land Newspaper. She also worked for Stock Journal Newspaper (SA), McPherson, Fairfax newspapers and Rural Press, and contributed to various magazines.
