| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | March 30, 1990 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Goalball | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Matthew Simpson (born March 30, 1990) is an American goalball player. Simpson represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Paralympics and won a silver medal. He will represent the United States in the 2024 games in Paris.
When Simpson was about a year old, he began moving his eye in unusual ways. The doctors who first examined him believed it was a condition he would grow out of, but once he started sitting unusually close to the family television, his parents suspected a more serious condition. When he was 4 years old, he was diagnosed with a degenerative retinal condition that would eventually leave him blind. In later years, Simpson would consider learning about his diagnosis that early to be a blessing in disguise, telling an interviewer for a University of Virginia publication in 2019, "As a kid, you don’t really think about it. You don’t dwell on it. You kind of get used to the idea of what your life is going to be like." [1]
While he was a devoted fan of baseball in general and the Atlanta Braves in particular, he realized that playing it would not be an option due to his vision impairment. He first turned to swimming and running, but took to goalball once he was exposed to the sport at a summer camp at age 10. Upon returning from camp, he told his father that he would play goalball in the Paralympics. At the time, there was no goalball program in the Atlanta area, but his father started one with the help of the Georgia Blind Sports Association. [1]
Simpson graduated from Washington and Lee University in 2012, after which he worked in Colorado for the United States Association of Blind Athletes. [1] After winning a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, Simpson attended the University of Virginia School of Law and graduated in 2020. [2] [3] He currently works as an associate for Sidley Austin. [4]
Simpson first made the United States national team in 2011 while a student at Washington and Lee, [1] going on to represent the US at the Parapan American Games and win silver medals in 2015 and 2019. [5]
He represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in goalball and won a silver medal. [6] He will again represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. [7]
The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) is a non-profit organisation founded 1981 in Paris, France. It was formerly known as the International Blind Sports Association. IBSA's mission is to promote the full integration of blind and partially-sighted people in society through sport and to encourage people with a visual impairment to take up and practise sports. IBSA is a full and founding member of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is an organization founded in 1976 to increase the number and quality of world-class athletic opportunities for Americans who are blind or visually impaired. USABA has reached over 100,000 blind individuals, and have over 3,000 current members who compete in thirteen sports, most prominently goalball.
United States women's national goalball team is the women's national team of the United States. Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. The team takes part in international competitions.
Brazil women's national goalball team is the women's national team of Brazil. Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. The team takes part in international goalball competitions.
Egypt women's national goalball team is the women's national team of Egypt. Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. The team takes part in international goalball competitions.
United States men's national goalball team is the men's national team of the United States. Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. The team takes part in international goalball competitions.
Canada men's national goalball team is the men's national team of Canada. Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. The team takes part in international goalball competitions.
Canada competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016.
The United States competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. The first places the team qualified were for three athletes in sailing events. They also qualified athletes in archery, goalball, shooting, swimming, and wheelchair basketball.
Japan competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. The country qualified athletes in cycling, goalball, judo, sailing, and wheelchair basketball.
Brazil competed in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, as host country, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
Turkey has qualified to send athletes to the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. Sports the country qualified to compete in include 5-a-side football, archery, goalball, and wheelchair basketball.
Egypt competed at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville, Great Britain and New York City, United States. The country's 28 representatives participated in several sports including goalball, winning 7 medals.
The IBSA World Games or World Blind Games are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA). The events enable blind and partially sighted athletes to compete in a number of sports. The first event took place at Madrid, Spain in 1998.
Israel competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo from 24 August to 5 September 2021. The delegation includes 33 athletes – 18 women and 15 men – competing in 11 sports: athletics, badminton, boccia, goalball, paracanoeing, powerlifting, rowing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, and wheelchair tennis.
Marybai Huking is an American goalball player who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics. She was adopted from China when she was two years old, and raised in Salt Lake City.
Lithuania men's national goalball team is the men's national team of Lithuania. Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. It takes part in international competitions.
John Kusku is an American goalball player. His visual impairment is caused by retinitis pigmentosa. Kusku represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Paralympics and won a silver medal.
David Henry Abrahams is a blind American Paralympic swimmer. He represented the United States at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Mindy Cook is an American goalball player who represented the United States at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
