Matt Brown is a Vancouver executive and avid triathlete. Matt was born in England, grew up in Edmonton Alberta, spent 5 years in Australia and married and American, so, very much a citizen of the world. For the past 10 years, Matt has worked for Business Objects in diverse global HR roles. In 2003 Matt moved to Australia where he was the head of human resources for the Asia Pacific region, overseeing rapid growth and expansion into China, India, and Korea. Matt returned to Vancouver with his wife, Jodi and daughters Sydney and Nyah in 2007 and is currently Americas Vice-President of Human Resources.
On August 30, 2009, Matt will embark on the day-long odyssey that is the Ironman Canada Triathlon. While many people have completed Ironman, the accomplishment remains the domain of those with the dedication and focus needed to endure the physical and emotional hardships of one of the toughest days in sports. All those that complete Ironman will, at some point along the way, have to See Beyond their own limitations and unique challenges in order to accomplish their goal.
What makes Matt’s journey to Ironman different is that he is legally blind as a result of a rare visual impairment called Achromatopsia. In a world ruled by colour, Matt has no concept of what colour is. Pattern, tone, shadow and contrast are what dominate Matt's view of the world. Matt's visual acuity is so reduced that reading a whiteboard from the front seat of a classroom, or the signs in the aisles of a supermarket are virtually impossible for him. Matt is so light sensitive that being outside, or in a brightly lit room without extremely tinted lenses is like being in a white out. While a normally sighted person’s eyes will adjust effectively to differing light conditions, Matt’s eyes are not able to do this. While Matt has developed adaptive strategies for coping in different circumstances, managing with these challenges requires constant attention and is a driving factor in all aspects of his life. On the road to Ironman, Matt’s vision will require him to constantly focus on elements that a fully sighted athlete would not have to think about.
As a young child dealing with a rare visual impairment, CNIB helped Matt build the skills, confidence, and self esteem needed to excel in the face of challenge. The Seeing Beyond campaign represents the coming together of Matt’s quest to complete Ironman under unique circumstances and the opportunity to give back to CNIB - an organization that has helped him and thousands of others See Beyond the challenges of living with low or no vision.
Our goal is big - to raise $140,000 for CNIB that’s $1000 for every mile of the Ironman. Our success will depend on the support and involvement of many people and organizations. Everything that you need to follow Matt’s journey to Ironman can be found at http://www.seeingbeyond.ca. As you learn more, we hope that something powerful will resonate with you such that you will be inspired to give, and spread the word about the great work that CNIB does. Join Matt on his $1000 a mile journey. Thank you for your generosity to inspire the world to SEE BEYOND!
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