Matt Harding out to make his family proud at Glasgow 2026Matt Harding out to make his family proud at Glasgow 2026

Matt Harding out to make his family proud at Glasgow 2026

It starts with the 26-year-old stood on top of the podium, fist raised with a gold medal and picture of his late father Colin in his other hand.

Even thinking about it is enough to cause Harding to choke up as he looks to put a fairytale ending on a difficult five years at Glasgow 2026.

“I am so desperate to make it into reality,” he said. “It has really been my motive.

“I do this all for my family. It has been a painful five years but with my sport, I pride myself on being able to bring my family good moments, smiling and being together. That’s why I have to do it.”

Harding lost his father just before his first Commonwealth Games in 2022 before his grandmother passed away shortly after.

The Wirral lifter admits he is still processing his grief from losing two family members so close together but four years on is ready to do them proud by bringing home a medal for his country.

“I had a lot of growing up to do really quickly,” he said.

“I was trying to find the right balance between sport and outside. I grew as a person. It has been tough, but it has been good.

“The Commonwealth Games is quite meaningful as it was the first competition where my dad didn’t see me compete.

“We never really saw eye-to-eye. We got on each other’s nerves. I thought I was always a burden to him and I was always trying to prove myself to him.

“I know what competitions like the Commonwealth Games would mean so much to him.”

Harding’s life has changed considerably since his Commonwealth debut four years ago, where he was just a year into his para powerlifting career.

The 26-year-old had been a prodigious swimmer, where he won national medals at junior and senior level.

He made the change to powerlifting after missing out on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and turned to powerlifting.

Just months after competing at Birmingham 2022, he clinched European gold before going on to seal qualification for Paris 2024.

He now heads to Glasgow 2026 looking to clinch a maiden Commonwealth medal with a wealth of experience under his belt.

“Four years ago, I was just getting into the sport,” he added. “It was only my second competition.

“The goal is always the same but your outlook on performance is different. Going from aiming for a top five finish to hopefully winning it, going in ranked number one, is different.

“Experience brings confidence, it brings the chilled. You learn to ride the wave, you know what to expect.

“The last four years has really pushed me along and made me more determined than ever to achieve great things at the next one, hopefully win gold and win it back for England.”