Tom Matthews is one of the top para table tennis players in the world, though he wouldn’t have ever picked up a paddle without the persistence of Jim Munckley, a five-time Paralympian.
Up to the age of 16, Tom’s passion was riding his BMX – that was until an accident in 2009 left the Welshman with a broken neck and paralysed from the waist down. An adrenaline junky, the teenager struggled to accept that his bike-riding days were over.
“I was out practising one weekend and went over the handlebars,” the Paralympic bronze medallist from Aberdare in Cynon Valley told Fen Regis Trophies. “It was a life-changing accident.
“I was a 16-year-old kid and I was quite naïve. I thought I’d get back on my pushbike.”
Tom added: “My dad is open and honest. He told me [that I would never walk again] before the doctors. It was a difficult conversation, but it was what set me up for the future.
Not Taking No For an Answer
While Tom was recovering in the hospital, where he remained for seven months, he was often visited by Jim Munckley, a para table tennis player that had competed at five Paralympic Games, winning bronze in 1984. He would often try to tempt Tom into giving para table tennis a go, though Tom was far from receptive at first.
“At the time, I was like oh it’s this old guy who’s just coming around,” Tom admitted. “His persistence paid off and in the end, I ended up giving table tennis a go in the hospital.
“I fell in love with the sport. It took easily six to 10 times for him to come around to try and persuade me. It all paid off thankfully.”
Being “naïve”, Tom was unaware of what the man that would eventually bring him into the Welsh para table tennis team had achieved in the sport.
“[Jim] did try to mention it, but like I said being a naïve 16-year-old I wasn’t really interested,” said Tom.
“In the end, I realised what he had achieved and that he knew what he was talking about.”
Picking the Paddle Back Up
Though Munckey was initially successful in capturing Tom’s interest in the sport, he would go a couple of years without picking up a paddle. That was until he watched the London 2012 Games when his passion was reignited, and a phone call changed his life forever.
“I gave Jim a call and asked if I could have another shot when he was with the Welsh table tennis squad,” Tom said.
“He was always there on the other end of the phone. He was like a second dad to me, to be honest.
“He coached me in other ways, as well as in table tennis. He was my coach until 2016 when I got onto the GB development squad.”
2016 was supposed to be a big year for Tom, who had won the European Championships the year prior in Vejle, Denmark, as he was selected for his first Paralympic Games. However, a freak accident resulted in a broken femur, which ruled him out of the Rio Games.
“It’s a funny story now but it wasn’t at the time,” said Tom. “Me and my friends were out on a night out in Cardiff for one of their birthdays and we were just about to go down to the clubs.
“As we were coming up, this hen-do came past and with us being a bunch of lads, and them being a bunch of women, they wanted a picture from us.
“We had the pictures and as the bride-to-be was getting off my lap, she slipped in her high heels and still had me around the neck, so we both fell and my leg went against the titanium chair – and there was only one winner there.”
Realising his Paralympic Dream
Tom’s Paralympic dream would then be delayed by another year due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 before he eventually did represent Team GB in Tokyo in 2021, where he won a bronze medal for his country.
“I still pinch myself now,” Tom said of playing at the Paralympic Games. “It’s crazy to think that I’ve won a Paralympic medal.
“Because it was during Covid, we had no crowds and it was a bit strange. I think other people reacted differently, but all in all, it was an amazing Games.
“The volunteers made it very special for us and to win the bronze medal was the icing on the cake.
“There’s nothing I can compare it to. The volunteers were amazing and they kind of made the games for us, to be honest.
Sadly, his first coach Munkley did not see Tom make his Paralympic bow having passed away in 2017, but Tom aims to continue to give back to the sport in the same way as his mentor did.
“I do a little bit of going into hospitals and trying to get people involved, but being a professional athlete it is difficult to do.
“I think I will go down to the gyms and give back to the sport and give back to someone who was like me, who is kind of lost and doesn’t know where to go.
“You can give them a little bit of hope that they can compete around the world.”
British Para Table Tennis is the governing body for the sport in the UK and if you would like to get involved, you can visit the body’s website and find a place to play in your local area: https://www.britishparatabletennis.com/pages/play
By Aaron Gratton
