Matz Topkin

Started: He first went swimming with his mother a few weeks after he was born. He began training in 2010. (Athlete, 28 Aug 2024; ekspress.delfi.ee, 11 Sep 2018) Reason: "My mum wanted me to be as mobile and active as possible so she put me into swimming to get some good physical activity in me from a very young age." (Athlete, 28 Aug 2024) Ambition: To continue competing at the highest level and help increase the profile of Para sports in Estonia. (Athlete, 28 Aug 2024) Awards: He was named Male Para Athlete of the Year for 2023 by the Estonian Olympic Committee. (Estonian Paralympic Committee Facebook page, 30 Dec 2023) He was named Male Para Swimmer of the Year for 2022 and 2023 by the Estonian Swimming Federation. (Eesti Ujumisliit Facebook page, 31 Dec 2023; Kalevi Ujumiskool Facebook page, 24 Jan 2023) He was named Para Athlete of the Year at the 2021 End of the Sports Year awards in Tallinn, Estonia. (Kalevi Ujumiskool Facebook page, 08 Dec 2021) In 2019 he was named Male Athlete of the Year by the Estonian Paralympic Committee [EPK]. (Instagram profile, 13 Dec 2019) Alongside fellow Para athlete Marja-Liisa Landar, he was named Athlete of the Year at the 2018 EV 100 Sports Stars of the Year gala in Estonia. (sport.err.ee, 27 Dec 2018) Additional Info: OTHER ACTIVITIES In 2020 he was elected as a member of the Estonian Olympic Committee [EOK] Athletes' Committee. "The goal is to represent the interests of Para sport, to keep it in the picture and to offer opportunities for the inclusion of people with disabilities in Estonian sport." (ohtuleht.ee, 07 Mar 2023; paralympic.ee, 29 May 2020)