Matthew is 16 years old, and received an autism diagnosis at quite a young age, like many on the autistic spectrum, Matthew's Autism is often described as quite complex owing to various diagnosis he has that go alongside it (Anxiety Disorder, Dyspraxia, Hyperacusia, Learning Difficulties to name but a few, there are many more) So sometimes the world can be a challenging place to be for Matthew. Matthew is reliant on routine and regime, so changes in timetables, or an unexpected change to his routine can have a real detrimental impact and as Matthew has problems sensory processing and explaining his feelings it also becomes a frustrating and upsetting experience for him.
As Autism does not have a look it can be deceiving to someone who is not familiar with Matthew or his needs, get to know him and speak about something he is passionate about and you gain a lifetime friend, get to see him overcoming adversity and he becomes an inspiration. In Matthews case he his highly reliant on supervision and assistance and a lot of the things we take for granted Matthew needs a considerable amount of help with throughout his journey.
Over the years we have found that Matthew learns through things he is passionate about and as parents we have always encouraged the learning process through Matthews passions whatever they may have been over the years, Matthews passion over the past 4 years is Football, in fact everything for Matthew revolves around Football, to say he is passionate about it would be an understatement.
I am so very proud to introduce Matthew Greany as a Fitness For Autism Ambassador, who will be helping us raise awareness but also assist in highlighting how important acceptance and inclusion is and showing what can be achieved if we open our hearts, minds and clubs so that everyone can enjoy taking part.
This summer saw The UEFA Women's European Championship (The Euros) was played with England being the host nation, the tournament comprised of the finest national teams in Europe who competed for the coveted trophy.
Below is Matthew's write up of the tournament, that's been written by Matthew.
"The UEFA Women's European Championship for the England Lionesses was a huge competition and we had to play against Northern Ireland, Norway and Austria which was a massive achievement. Goalkeeper Mary Earps pulled off some awesome and wicked saves in the games against Northern Ireland, Norway and Austria, she was just one of the players that got stuck right in with the saves she had to make, especially the saves she made in the quarter finals and semi-finals and the final at Wembley Stadium against Germany.
Chloe Kelly pulled scored a last-minute winner against Germany at Wembley Stadium, which saw England won the trophy for the first time.
My favourite player from the Womens European Championships was Millie Bright, she just put a big smile on my face, when she made them tackles and clearances out of the England penalty area , she was my favourite player throughout the whole of the tournament for the lionesses, followed by Beth Mead who was just on fire when she played, she made some top spot tackles and scored an awesome hat trick against Norway which saw the mighty "Lionesses" win 8-0 at the Amex Stadium which is in Brighton.
Leah Williamson was just like a brick wall with no one was getting past her, when she runs, she is like a rocket. She is a player that I admire as she makes important tackles and her talking and communicating with her players was brilliant, she is the first England captain in 56 years to win a major trophy.
I watched the final with my friends at my football team clubhouse, and the atmosphere was amazing, I joined in singing songs that were being sung like "Sweet Caroline" and " Footballs Coming Home" it was just the best day of my life and made me so happy when the Lionesses lifted the beautiful trophy and were named the 2022 European Champions".
Since COVID restrictions were lifted Matthew has been on a mission to get to see as many football matches as possible, regardless of leagues, if there is a football match being played and if Matthew can get to where it is, he will be there.
Below are just some of the adventures he has had recently, and as it's a team sport Matthew also invites his team mates from the team he plays with to join in the fun.
Fitness For Autism which is a division of Fighting For Autism is on a mission to boost not only awareness but drive for acceptance and inclusion for autistic kids/teens/adults or those with an additional need and enable them to find clubs and activities that help them to not only stay healthy but also have fun and make new friends in the process.
We are on a mission to find businesses, people, associations, sports, venues, locations and clubs that recognise as well as embrace the values of awareness, acceptance and inclusion. Not just saying they do, but actually showing they go the extra mile to raise a smile.
Our friends that have become more like a family from the martial arts, boxing, health and fitness world have helped us lead the charge in our bid to make the globe a bit more more of a welcoming place to be, one that offers safe spaces and places for people to blossom at their own pace, the kindness shown so far has been beyond amazing, so we thought we would see if any other activities were on offer that could provide the opportunity of learning new skills, developing confidence, aiming towards a healthy lifestyle and making lasting friendships.
Again Pete, Beth, Karl and everyone from Immortal 365 Martial Arts Academy in Peterborough, we cannot thank you enough the young lad who came to take part in a lightsabre workshop, and went onto a stage with your club, left with a sense of confidence that has grown and grown.
Fitness for Autism prides itself in not only working alongside autistic people or those with an additional need, but also give them a say in which way the our aims as a charitable organisation are achieved, being able to provide a platform for them to get their voice, experiences and positive stories heard and importantly create a future where opportunities are within reach.
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