Matt Speakman is a professional racing car driver who became paraplegic after a motorcycle accident in 1993. After being told he would never walk or race again, Matt has achieved numerous goals in motorsports, becoming the first person in Australia with a disability to race professionally. He has competed in rally championships, was on the Australian Paralympic ski team, and in 2013 became the first person in the world to race in the Porsche GT3 Cup series with a major disability. Matt is now focused on competitive racing with his Mission Possible Racing team and inspiring others through his accomplishments.

1. Matt Speakman http://www.mattspeakman.com/
Biography
Professional racing car driver, Matt Speakman, has achieved
enormous goals in his 49 years, in particular the past 23.
A sports fanatic Matt’s life took a very different turn in 1993,
when 26 years old, he was hit by a drunk driver whilst riding
his motorbike in Sydney.
He incurred a serious spinal injury resulting in paraplegia.
His passenger, a young woman, was killed.
After an extremely difficult six months in hospital,
where he was told he would never walk again or
enjoy the sports he loved, Matt was determined
to prove them wrong.
23 years later Matt has achieved massive goals.
Matt the first person in Australia with a disability to race professionally, a significant title which
he achieved by sheer determination and extraordinary persistence.
This year Matt is competing in Europe in the 24 hour endurance race series, Mission Possible
Racing www.missionpossibleracing.com
In January 2015 Matt added to his list of achievements. As part of the Mission Possible Racing
team, he and three others in wheelchairs (two of which have quadriplegia) took on the most
challenging form of Motorsport - the Dubai 24hr Endurance Race in the BMW 235 class.
Many questioned the ability of an all disabled team to finish such a monumental challenge. The
team, not only finished the gruelling race, they finished in style and further up the leader board than
expected.
Next, in March 2015, is round 2 at the iconic Mugello Autodrone in the Tuscany region of Italy.
The team, confident from the results of Dubai, is now intent on showing the world how competitive it
is.
In 2013 Matt raced in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge presented by Pirelli in the McElrea Racing
team. In doing this Matt became the first person in the world to race in a Porsche series with a major
disability.
As well as racing Matt is an Ambassador of SpinalCure Australia, http://www.spinalcure.org.au/, a
non-profit organisation which raises funds for medical research to find a cure for paralysis.
Matt is also a key presenter in No Second Chance http://n2c.com.au/, a youth antiviolence and road
safety education program.
Matt was also a member of the Australian Paralympics Alpine Ski team and competed in the Sydney
to Hobart Yacht Race in 1994 finishing 30
th
.
He is also currently training in a K1 Kayak and working hard to qualify for a position on the Australian
Paralympic Team heading to Rio in 2016.
Matt is a professional speaker and aims through his speaking engagements to inspire others, especially
those with a disability, that they can also dream and achieve their dreams.
Matt is currently seeking sponsor partners to support his efforts to race in Mission Possible Racing in 2015.
For media inquiries:
Louise Lyel 0481 362 682
Matt Speakman 0414 653 507
1.
“I want to inspire
people,
especially those
with disabilities,
that they can
achieve their
dreams whatever
they may be.
If they see that a
guy in a
wheelchair can
professionally
race cars then,
hopefully, they
will follow their
dreams” Matt
Speakman.
1
A vision becomes reality!
WORLD PREMIERE

2. Matt Speakman http://www.mattspeakman.com/
Biography
Background
A sports fanatic, Matt Speakman’s life took a very different turn in 1993 when, whilst
riding his motorbike home from work in Sydney, he was hit by a drunk driver. His
passenger, a young woman, was killed.
For the then 26 year-old active man to be told by doctors that he now had to get used
to life in a wheelchair, it was devastating.
Even more so, as earlier the day of the accident he had signed a deal to compete in the
1993 Australian 600 Super Sport Championship.
Instead of taking this lifelong dream opportunity Matt spent six months in a hospital
being told, but not believing, that he’d never race or walk again.
“I found myself in a peculiar situation where the negativity that I was experiencing in
being told what I couldn’t do was more debilitating than the actual injury itself” says Matt.
The former nightclub manager and licensee and part time model had loved all sports including
surfing, tennis, scuba diving, baseball, triathlon, gridiron and motorcycle road racing.
Matt was determined to not let his injury stop his love of sports or life. On leaving hospital Matt,
determined to get his old life back, became re-certified for scuba diving.
“I left hospital, immediately went to Vanuatu and realised that, with a little ingenuity,
anything was possible. That was when I became recertified for scuba diving” says Matt.
From there Matt knew that anything was and is achievable.
This led to an invitation to join an ambitious group of disabled people who wanted to sail in the
1994 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Sailors with Disabilities was born.
Matt was elected President of the association and competed in full 1994 East Coast of Shore
Series culminating with the 50
th
Sydney to Hobart race in which his team finished a remarkable
30
th
place from 400 boats.
Inspired by this Matt believed a return to motor sport seemed feasible. But yet another major
challenge befell him. The Confederation of Australian Motor Sports (CAMS) refused to give him
a licence as they said Matt could not safely remove himself from scene of an accident.
Again determined, it took Matt three years to get CAMS to grant him a licence for rally racing, but a
much wanted licence for circuit racing was refused and it would be many long years away.
The rally racing licence was secured in 1998 and the circuit racing licence was finally granted in 2011,
18 long years later.
Matt competed in the 1998 NSW Rally Championship achieving best result 3
rd
place.
In 1999 he competed in the Australian Rally Championship achieving best result of 10
th
outright.
Due to limited resources Matt was forced to abandon rallying at the end of 1999.
“I kind of gambled on good luck thinking that I’d had enough bad luck and entered
the Australian Rally Championship underprepared but determined to prove to myself
that I still had what it takes to compete at the national level of motor sports.
I proved three things. One that I do have what it takes. Two you make your
own luck by being prepared and, three, have a clear idea of costs before
you start so that you don’t send yourself broke” says Matt.
In 2000 Matt became a member of the Australian Paralympics Alpine ski team. He competed in world
cup ski races in Canada and achieved best results 5
th
in class World Cup Super G.
He was the Australian champion for Super G and, as part of his involvement in the paralympic ski team,
he was awarded an Australian Institute of Sports Scholarship.
2.
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3. Matt Speakman http://www.mattspeakman.com/
Biography
Forced to stop ski racing due to a family death in 2004 Matt started rebuilding his current Toyota Celica
which he completed in mid 2009 and started racing again in Karnacross
“In 1999 I felt that I’d jumped into the Australian championship a little too soon but wanted
to prove to myself that I was able to compete at a national level.
This time around I decided, instead of jumping in at the deep end, I would start at the very
bottom of grass roots motor sport and work my way back to national level competition. I would
only move up to the next level of motor sport when I was champion at the level I was competing at”
says Matt.
After winning 12 events from 12 starts Matt returned to CAMS to ask again about circuit racing.
This time, instead of saying no, CAMS designed a number of different tests including emergency evacuation
and additional medical assessments. Matt passed all tests with flying was colours and was granted a licence
at the end of 2011.
This was a major achievement as it was the first time in Australian
history that a circuit racing licence was granted to someone with
paraplegia.
It also, importantly, gives other people with disabilities a major
opportunity and this is equally as important to Matt.
“I want to inspire people, especially those with disabilities,
that they can achieve their dreams whatever they may be.
If they see that a guy in a wheelchair can race cars then,
hopefully, they will follow their dreams” says Matt.
In March to September 2012 Matt competed in six rounds in
the Improved Production Racing Association (IPRA) on racetracks throughout Queensland. Matt won the
championship in the up to 1600cc class.
Over the past two years Matt had been seeking a national series drive but was frustrated by the responses from
companies who were ignorant about capabilities of disabled people.
Eventually Matt contacted Porsche Sport Driving School Australia and they were immediately receptive and
enthusiastic.
“Up to that point it was incredibly frustrating and disappointing asking companies if I could join
their series. After so many knock backs I took a different approach when I contacted Porsche and
‘told’ them that I ‘would’ be driving in their series. I was shocked and stoked as Porsche were really keen.
In 2013 Matt competed in the Porsche GT3 Cup as a member of Gold Coasts’ McElrea Racing.
Matts opportunity to drive with Porsche was the first time in Australian history anyone in a wheelchair has been
able to compete on a race track let alone striving to reach the top level of motor sport.
“Racing is in my blood, always has been. I’ve tried many times to step away but it is the one thing that
I am best at in life.
Matt dedicates a considerable amount of his time to volunteering to educate young people on the importance of safe
driving as part of the No Second Chance youth safety program http://n2c.com.au/
No Second Chance’ objective is to save teenage lives arising from the tragic consequences of Youth Violence and
Road Accidents.
“I speak to kids in years 11 and 12 about my experience as a crash survivor which is quite
traumatic. It’s important to make people see the real ramifications of a road crash and what
it’s like to live through that.
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4. Matt Speakman http://www.mattspeakman.com/
Biography
Matt is an Ambassador of SpinalCure Australia (http://www.spinalcure.org.au/)
and supports their objective to fund research to find a cure for paralysis caused
by spinal cord injury.
Matt is wholeheartedly supportive of SpinalCure Australia’s goal to get people
out of their wheelchairs as soon as possible and believes that this is achievable.
“When I was in hospital I was constantly told I’d never walk again and
would spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I refused to believe them.
There are so many serious illnesses for which cures have been found.
Scientists all around the world are working to find a cure for paralysis and there are many exciting findings
in stem cell research. The day will come, I’m sure of it” says Matt.
It has now been 22 years since Matt’s injury but he clearly remembers the devastation of being told he’d never walk
again.
“The bleak prognosis I was given in hospital was that I would never walk again in my lifetime,
my children’s lifetime or their childrens. A glimmer of light appeared a month or so after my
stay when the first reports of stem cell research appeared.
“A cure, I believe, in my lifetime is definitely possible” says Matt.
Whilst Matt has been able to continue sports his dream is to walk again. He also realises that others whose injuries
have resulted in quadriplegia are unable to participate in the sports that he enjoys.
“We have to find a cure, we have to get people out of their wheelchairs and on their feet again.
I beseech the public and corporations to support research to enable this to occur. With the exciting
developments in stem cell in Australia and internationally a cure will be found. But we have to fund the
research” says Matt.
Matt believes that the awareness he will create for spinal cord injury research through racing will help secure much
needed public and corporate support.
In January 2015 Matt added to his list of world firsts. As part of Mission Possible Racing,
www.missionpossibleracing.com he and three others in wheelchairs, two of which have quadriplegia, took on the most
challenging form of Motorsport entering the Dubai 24hr Endurance Race in the BMW 235 class.
Many questioned the ability of an all disabled team to finish the such a monuments challenge but the team not only
finished the gruelling race they finished in style and further up the leader board than the ambitious team expected.
“We took on the challenged with the goal of crossing the finish line after 24 hours of racing,
with a very measured approach. The final result was beyond what we expected and we certainly
gained the respect of the other competitors and the world motoring media.
Starting slow the lap times continued to drop and looking at the last stints from all 4 drivers it
became apparent we should have no problem reaching the podium at the next round of the
International 24hr Series” Matt said.
Next is Round Two March 13 to 15 at the iconic Mugello Autodrone in the Tuscany region of Italy.
The team is confident from the results from the challenging Dubai circuit and now intent on showing the world
just how competitive they can be and have their focus firmly on the podium.
“The only goal in Dubai was to finish and prove our abilities, this time our focus is on speed
and lap times and show the world that our disabilities in no way impede our ability to win races,
with a good haul of championship point in the bag a world championship is a very realistic goal
for should we find the funding to finish the next five rounds of the championship.
But when you look at the extraordinary goals that Matt has already accomplished you know that he will do it.
“As Christopher Reeve said ‘At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually
inevitable’" says Matt.
For media inquiries:
Louise Lyel 0481 362 682
Matt Speakman 0414 653 507
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