From Wardle to World Stage: Matthew’s Journalism Journey
Wardle Academy is incredibly proud to share the inspirational journey of alumnus, Matthew, who is now well on his way to achieving his lifelong ambition of becoming a Sports Commentator.
Matthew’s passion began early. Since the age of eight, he regularly practiced commentary, often alongside his Grandad, focusing on football and their shared love of ski racing.
This passion turned into a professional pursuit two years ago with the launch of their podcast, ‘Skiing is Believing.‘ What started as a fun hobby has rapidly evolved, with the duo now producing over 200 episodes published across Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon. Through this platform, they have had the incredible opportunity to interview top skiers from around the world and have traveled to Finland and Norway to cover World Cup ski racing events.
After successfully completing his Media Studies A-Level at Rochdale Sixth Form College this past summer, Matthew has now embarked on a three-year Sports Journalism course at Lancashire University.
He continues to develop the podcast while also gaining professional experience writing articles for the American company, ‘Ski Racing Media.’ Looking ahead, Matthew has set his sights on the next Winter Olympics in Italy as a platform to further hone his commentary and journalistic skills.
We would also like to recognize the impact of our staff: Matthew credits the encouragement and interest shown by his former English teacher, Mr. Greenhalgh, with influencing his love of writing and creative journalism.
We wish Matthew the very best as he continues to chase his extraordinary dreams!
