Making noise for mighty 'Mogul' Matt Graham

Photo credit: Matt Graham

In the lead up to CCGS alumni Matt 'Mogul' Graham's (2012) appearance at the 2022 Winter Olympics, CCGS students and staff got behind Matt to show their support.

CCGS posted videos and photos to social media, to show our support, encouragement and well wishes for Matt. Year 12 Prefects headed out in to the school grounds armed with Go Mighty 'Mogul' Matt posters to rally our community. Matt even posted his own message of thanks to the CCGS families on his Instagram page all the way from Beijing.

However, it was not to be Matt's year. On the first round of qualifying, Matt failed to finish his first run and on his second run, he needed a score of 74.49 or better to advance. After a bumpy start, he found it difficult to regain his momentum and he finished with 65.13 in 19th spot, leaving him devastated. After qualifying rounds Matt said, “This is honestly the most pain and heartbroken I’ve ever felt. The broken collarbone obviously hurt but this hurts a hell of a lot more".

Matt’s preparation for the Games had been interrupted when he broke his collarbone last December and had to have surgery. However, he did not blame the injury for his performance stating:

"Everything was there, the whole package was there, I just didn’t execute. I got caught up in challenging conditions with wind and firm snow, sharp moguls, and I just kind of misjudged the top jump, went left out of the top there and I was kind of chasing my tail the whole way down the middle section. At that point, I knew the run was more or less over, but I was just trying to fight the whole way down just to at least put a run down after the other night, I was pretty embarrassed after I did not finish." (source ABC news).

“Matt helped us learn one of the most important lessons of all - part of aiming high and believing in ourselves is learning how to accept setbacks when things don’t go our way. He shared his feelings in an open and honest interview reflecting so many of our CCGS values,” said Headmaster Bill Low.

The entire CCGS community is so proud of Matt – from the tenacity he showed in his Olympic preparations (practising jumps in a pool in Brisbane rather than on the ski slopes, whilst recovering from surgery) to the manner in which he continued to support his teammates fully and wholeheartedly despite his own disappointment. He showed true sportsmanship and displayed tenacity, kindness, respect and integrity.

Well done Matt, you’re an inspiration and role model to all of us.