Matthew is a 28-year Australian police veteran and a survivor of a critical incident in 2014.
He sustained life threatening physical injuries as a direct result of the attack, but years later almost succumbed to his mental injuries. He has fought back and now uses his lived experience to raise awareness of mental health and the impacts of PTSD.
Matthew’s experience with PTSD saw him take significant periods of time off work, and he felt unsupported on his return to work.
He has spoken about his experiences at the United Nations Global Congress for Victims of Terrorism in 2022, and more recently at the Frontline Mental Health Conference and the Leaders in Counter-Terrorism Conference.
In 2020 Matthew was awarded the Bravery Medal (BM), by Governor General David Hurley, for his actions in the critical incident.
Matthew holds a Masters in Terrorism and Security from Charles Sturt University.