Matt Hatch

About

Hi, my name is Matt I was born November 1974 with Spina Bifida and in my case it means I can’t feel my legs from the knees down but thanks to my parents & twin younger brothers (born 18 months after me ) it has never stopped me living my life to the full. 

My one rule about my wheelchair is that it goes where I want it to go and  not where it thinks it should go. 

I ride every day, putting my chair to its limits and keeping myself fit. 

My parents encouraged independence & due to my father’s work we spent many years in Nigeria and at the age of 5-6 I learnt to swim in the Bonny River there and I also went to boarding school back home in the UK, in between living in Nigeria & the Uk.

When I left school I moved away from home to attend Portland College Mansfield for further education then I attended Newark & Sherwood College in Nottingham for Sports & tourism, whilst there I decided to take driving lessons as I’m a bit of a petrol head but I kept this secret from my mum coz she wanted me to wait till I went home but as she’s always taught me independence I went & passed my test & got my 1st motability car & surprised her with it. Also whilst at college I took up Wheelchair racing and my claim to fame is that in the early 90’s I took part in the Junior Nationals in Blackpool. After college I moved back to Worthing into a 1 bedroom purpose built bungalow & still live there now. I’ve always been active throughout my life from Skiing in France & Italy to gaining an NVQ in dingy sailing and also unintentionally Land Kite Surfing in my wheelchair ( my brothers are fanatic Kite Surfers ) my brothers thought it would be a great idea and there I was going along at a rate of knot’s with Lionel hanging on the back of my wheelchair & Dan hanging off of him & me hanging onto a 10 metre Land Kite, it all came to an abrupt end when a gust of wind got under the kite and we all went arse over apex & my left leg drilled into the ground but I still managed to keep the kite in the air, but later that day my left thigh didn’t feel right so I drove myself to the hospital at the surprise of the nurses coz i had shattered my thigh bone and had 2 options which were plaster up the whole of my leg or have an op where a metal rod would be inserted into my thigh bone I settled on the later so that I didn’t have to spend weeks in plaster.

I met my partner 15 years ago & she lives in London but we spend every weekend together either down at mine at the beach or up in London, we’re fanatic heavy metal fans & go to various gigs throughout the year & the highlight has to be Download Festival held each June where we spend 5 days camping, we also love F1 & try to go to Silverstone every year which again we grab our tent & spend a week under canvas. Our other passion is cruising we have done various ones from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean but we’re still waiting for our Norway cruise which thanks to Covid has been cancelled twice fingers crossed for 2022.

Favourite Custom Propel Product

My favourite Custom Propel product is the Kinetic Balance Rack Pack

It lets me keep everything I need to hand, with easy access pockets, safe connection to my chair - and it looks great.