Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 67, February 2015 | Page 18

Ma Feature

Not Fat Matt
M

att was always a good runner. He

took it up while still at school

when his mom joined a local running

club in Stellenbosch, ran the time trial
regularly, then did a few 10km races, and in 2003
and 2004 he ran the Old Mutual Two Oceans Half
and clocked times of 1:28 and 1:29. However, having
gotten into a typical student drinking lifestyle and
then working in the hospitality industry, Matt’s weight
had steadily climbed until he tipped the scales at
107kg in 2011, and he knew he had to do something
about it.
“My friend Mia Mocke, a personal trainer here in
Stellenbosch, convinced me to start exercising, and
I actually tried to run a half marathon. I literally
thought I was going to have a heart attack!” says
Matt. “That was the last straw for me, so I bought
the cheapest bike I could find on Gumtree and
started pedalling with friends. A short while later Mia
suggested a triathlon, and since I had done some
running back in the day, I now had a bike, and I
swam in primary school, I thought maybe I can
string a triathlon together.”

Latent Talent

Lean, mean, racing machine

so much that I actually entered my next one that
same day. Then I did my first Totalsports XTERRA
off-road tri in February 2012 and had the most fun
imaginable, even though it was a long day out, and
at prize-giving I watched the age-groupers collecting
their prize money, so I thought this is cool, and set
myself the goal of finishing on the podium in my
25-29 age group.”
He duly claimed third spot in his group in 2013, and
at prize-giving the two guys in front of him were
handed envelopes with an entry to the XTERRA
World Champs in Hawaii. “I sat there thinking, I only
just didn’t make it, and that sucks, so next year I
need to go World Champs!” And so the 2014 race
saw a still leaner, meaner Matt at 75kg go all-out,
and he finished 11th overall and first non-pro, earning
his Hawaii slot – but still he was a bit disappointed.
“The pro’s had a minute head-start on us, but I didn’t
know the Italian just in front of me at the finish was
actually only a few seconds ahead of me, so I came

To Mia’s great surprise, Matt didn’t just finish that
BSG Sprint Series event, he actually did quite well.
“She said, ‘Hang on, you’re heavy, and you just
started triathlon, but you beat most people I know,
so you should do more of these!’ I had enjoyed it

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ISSUE 67 FEBRUARY 2015 / www.modernathlete.co.za

trotting into the finish, taking in the vibe, and walked
over the finish line, just to see that I missed the Top
10 by three seconds! Still, I was the first guy with a
day job over the line!”

Success has also come to Matt in other events. He
can boast a half marathon PB of 1:16 and a 10km
best of 34:50, and has finished on the podium
at many events, including third in the Totalsports
Challenge Terra Firma, second at the Slanghoek
off-road tri, and first in HYH