Matt Formston cannot see a wave approaching in the way most surfers can.
He has no central vision and less than 3% peripheral vision. Yet in November 2022, he surfed a 15.48 m wave at Nazaré in Portugal, one of the most feared big-wave locations on the planet. The ride earned him a Guinness World Record.
That is not simply a remarkable surfing achievement. It is a masterclass in preparation, trust, courage and human performance.
In this episode of the Hear Me ROAR podcast, Matt joins Tobi Skovron and Kate Save to explore what happens when a person refuses to let circumstances dictate the size of their ambition.
Matt’s story stretches far beyond one enormous wave. He is a world champion across cycling and surfing, represented Australia at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and built a successful executive career alongside elite sport. His achievements challenge the assumptions people make about disability, leadership and what it takes to perform under pressure.
Who is Matt Formston?
Matt Formston is an Australian Paralympian, world champion cyclist, adaptive surfing world champion, big-wave surfer, executive and speaker.
He was diagnosed with macular dystrophy at five years old. The condition left him with no central vision and less than 3% peripheral vision. Rather than allowing that diagnosis to narrow his world, Matt went on to compete at the highest levels of two demanding sports.
His para-cycling career included a world championship and world record in the 4,000 m tandem pursuit. He later represented Australia at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games before shifting his focus back to surfing.
In the ocean, Matt became a multiple adaptive surfing world champion. Then he stepped beyond competition and into one of surfing’s most extreme arenas: Nazaré.
This is what makes the Matt Formston story so powerful. He did not simply participate. He repeatedly expanded the definition of what was possible.
The blind surfer who conquered a 15.48 m wave at Nazaré
Nazaré is famous for producing some of the biggest surfable waves in the world. Its deep underwater canyon amplifies Atlantic swells, creating waves with extraordinary height, speed and force.
For any surfer, taking on Nazaré demands technical ability, physical conditioning, careful planning and a calm response under pressure. For a blind surfer, the challenge involves an additional layer of communication and trust.
On 30 November 2022, Matt surfed a wave measured at 15.48 m, or 50.8 ft. Guinness World Records recognises it as the largest wave surfed by a male athlete in the IS2 classification.
The number gets attention, but the deeper story is how the result was achieved.
Matt could not rely on the same visual information as the surfers around him. He depended on preparation, pattern recognition and precise communication with his team. Every person had to know their role. Every signal had to be trusted. When a wall of water is moving beneath you, vague communication is not a minor workplace frustration. It is a genuine safety risk.
That makes the achievement a powerful leadership analogy. Peak performance is rarely a solo act. Even the person standing on the podium, riding the wave or leading the company is supported by a team operating behind the result.
Courage is not the absence of fear
Matt’s story can easily be reduced to fearlessness. That misses the real lesson.
Courage is not pretending risk does not exist. It is understanding the risk, preparing for it and moving forward with purpose.
Big-wave surfing punishes bravado. Confidence without preparation is not courage. It is recklessness wearing a louder shirt.
Matt’s success comes from the opposite approach. He combines ambition with discipline. He prepares his body, sharpens his systems, relies on trusted people and commits when the moment arrives.
That lesson travels well beyond the ocean.
Leaders rarely get perfect visibility. Founders make decisions without complete data. Teams enter new markets without knowing exactly how every variable will unfold. The goal is not to eliminate uncertainty. The goal is to build the capability and trust required to move through it.
Trust becomes a performance system
For Matt, trust is not a soft value displayed on a wall. It is an operating system.
On a tandem bicycle, he needed complete alignment with his sighted pilot. At Nazaré, he relied on a team to help read the wave, position him correctly and manage safety. One breakdown in timing or communication could change the outcome instantly.
High-performing organisations work under lower physical stakes, but the same principle applies.
- People need clarity about their roles.
- Communication must remain sharp under pressure.
- Standards cannot disappear when conditions become difficult.
- Trust must be built before the critical moment arrives.
- Each person must perform their role for the team to succeed.
Trust is built through consistent actions over time. You cannot manufacture it in the few seconds before the biggest wave arrives.
Stop allowing other people to define your limits
The most limiting obstacles are not always physical. Often, they are the assumptions absorbed from other people.
Matt was diagnosed at an age when adults were shaping the boundaries of his future. His life became a long-running rejection of the idea that a diagnosis should also become a destiny.
That does not mean ignoring reality. Matt understands his vision impairment better than anyone. He adapts, trains, builds systems and works with people who strengthen his performance.
The distinction matters.
Accepting reality gives you a clear starting point. Accepting somebody else’s ceiling gives away your finish line.
Whether the challenge is a disability, a difficult market, a career setback or a goal that appears too ambitious, the better question is not simply, “Can I do this?”
It is: “What would need to be true for this to become possible?”
That question shifts the mind from judgement to problem-solving.
From world champion cyclist to world champion surfer
Matt’s career also proves that identity does not need to remain fixed.
He reached world-class level as a para-cyclist, setting a world record and competing at the Paralympic Games. After retiring from competitive cycling, he did not treat that chapter as the end of his performance story. He redirected his discipline into surfing and again rose to the highest level.
This ability to transition is highly relevant to business leaders.
What made a company successful five years ago may not be what carries it through the next five. The strongest leaders know which parts of their identity to protect and which parts must evolve.
Matt changed the arena, but retained the fundamentals: discipline, standards, trust, preparation and the willingness to attempt difficult things.
Great athletes do not fall in love with one play. They fall in love with getting better.
A bigger impact than medals and records
Matt’s influence extends beyond competition.
His story has helped create greater visibility for adaptive sport and challenged conventional perceptions of blindness. Through his advocacy, speaking, mentoring and community work, he is helping others see disability through the lens of capability, contribution and potential.
His journey is also featured in The Blind Sea, a documentary following his pursuit of big waves and his mission to change how the world sees blindness.
This matters because representation shapes expectation. When people see someone with a disability competing, leading and performing at an elite level, the conversation shifts from sympathy to respect.
The goal is not to pretend every barrier has disappeared. It is to stop underestimating people before they have even entered the arena.
What leaders can learn from Matt Formston
Matt’s experience offers several practical lessons for business, sport and life.
1. Build trust before pressure arrives
Critical moments reveal the strength of a team. They do not create it. Invest in relationships, clarity and communication before the stakes rise.
2. Separate real risk from imagined limitation
Some risks require serious planning. Others are stories we repeat because trying feels uncomfortable. Strong performers learn the difference.
3. Prepare so thoroughly that commitment becomes possible
Confidence is rarely magic. It is usually the result of repeated preparation.
4. Adapt without lowering the standard
Matt changes how he accesses information and works with his environment. He does not lower the ambition attached to the outcome.
5. Choose people you can trust when visibility is limited
No leader can see every wave coming. Your team, advisers and partners become even more important when the path ahead is unclear.
6. Do not confuse a difficult goal with an impossible one
Some goals need more time, better systems or a stronger team. Difficulty is information, not always a stop sign.
Listen to Matt Formston on the Hear Me ROAR podcast
Matt Formston’s appearance on Hear Me ROAR is a conversation about far more than surfing.
Tobi Skovron and Kate Save explore the person behind the world records and medals, including the mindset, standards and trusted relationships that allow Matt to perform in environments where mistakes carry real consequences.
The episode explores:
- Surfing one of the biggest waves in the world with less than 3% vision
- The preparation and teamwork behind big-wave surfing
- Moving from world champion cycling to world champion surfing
- Responding when other people underestimate your potential
- Building resilience without relying on empty motivation
- Trust, communication and leadership under pressure
- Turning adversity into forward momentum
Matt’s story is not a request to feel sorry for him. It is a challenge to reconsider the limits we place on ourselves and others.
Frequently asked questions
Is Matt Formston completely blind?
Matt Formston has no central vision and less than 3% peripheral vision as a result of macular dystrophy. He is legally blind.
What is Matt Formston famous for?
Matt is known as a Paralympian, world champion para-cyclist, multiple adaptive surfing world champion and Guinness World Record-holding big-wave surfer. He is also an executive, speaker and disability advocate.
What is the biggest wave Matt Formston has surfed?
Matt surfed a 15.48 m wave at Nazaré, Portugal, on 30 November 2022. Guinness World Records recognises the achievement in the male IS2 classification.
How does Matt Formston surf without full vision?
Matt combines deep experience, physical preparation, pattern recognition and precise communication with a trusted team. In big-wave environments, positioning and safety depend on everyone understanding and executing their role.
Did Matt Formston compete at the Paralympic Games?
Yes. Matt represented Australia in para-cycling at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
Is Matt Formston a world champion surfer?
Yes. Matt has won multiple adaptive surfing world championships alongside national and international titles.
What is The Blind Sea?
The Blind Sea is a documentary about Matt Formston’s life, achievements and mission to challenge perceptions of blindness through surfing and community impact.
Where can I watch the Matt Formston podcast interview?
Matt’s full conversation with Tobi Skovron and Kate Save is available on the Cubes YouTube channel as well as spotify and apple podcast
Get ready to ROAR, Enjoy the Pod 🎧