Matt Driller, Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Science, will head to France this August to join Australia’s Paralympic Team at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
Associate Professor Driller will work as a recovery physiologist in the performance team, an opportunity he is grateful for.
“Paralympics Australia is an amazing organisation with exceptional people, so I am really looking forward to the opportunity,” he says.
“I’ll be part of a three-person recovery team working in performance services. We will help athletes with their recovery following training and competition, and aid in cooling strategies before, during and after their events.”
“In the lead-up to the games, I have also been helping with the design of a dedicated recovery centre for the Australian team, called the Icel Tower. The recovery centre is unique to the Australian Paralympic Team, as not many other nations offer this service.”
Associate Professor Driller will begin his paralympic journey in Montpellier in the South of France, where he will help the Australian Para-athletics Team in their staging camp in the lead-up to the games. From there, he will travel to the village in Paris for the start of the Paralympic Games, which run from August 28 to September 8, 2024.
“I am passionate about being part of a team to support athletes and coaches at their pinnacle events. It doesn’t get any bigger than the Paralympic Games for these athletes, so to be able to play a very small part in supporting them is what it is all about for me,” he says.
“I thrive on seeing athletes achieve their goals on the biggest stage.”
After the games, Associate Professor Driller looks forward to bringing this real-world experience back to his research and teaching roles at La Trobe.
“In the field of sports science and academia, it's easy to lose touch with what athletes experience at major events. The insights gained from Paris will ensure my research is directly applicable and has a tangible impact on the athletes I work with.”
“I also appreciate being able to bring these experiences into the classroom to share the unique physiological and recovery challenges that paralympic athletes sometimes face, which can be distinct from those of able-bodied athletes.”
