A Leeds man has turned his condition into a 'superpower' to help spread awareness for a victim support charity, while also breaking world records. Matthew Akpan was diagnosed with Aspergers later in life at the age of 24 following years of wondering why he felt held back during university.
Matthew grew up in Cross Gates, Leeds, and in 2008 he attended Manchester Metropolitan University to study sports and leisure but he failed a module which saw him resit the year. He then failed again and was forced to take a year out of study and it was at this point he thought there was something holding him back.
He spoke with his family and discussed the idea that he might have Aspergers, with his mum helping him research the condition, which can cause impaired language and communication skills as well as repetitive or restrictive thinking and behavior.
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In March 2013, Matt was diagnosed with Aspergers and following a request for support he was able to continue his studies at a different university and graduated from Leeds Beckett University in 2015 with a degree in Sport, Leisure and Culture. From there Matthew began using his diagnosis to explore himself and get out of his comfort zone.
Sadly Matthew's father died in 2013 from kidney failure. Matt decided to pay tribute to his dad by attempting a Guinness World Record doing a marathon dressed as John Cena.
Matthew said: “Unfortunately my father died in 2013, we watched wrestling for like 20 years and I thought that as a tribute to him and victim support, so I wanted to become a superhero, so I chose John Cena as he has done a lot for children.
“I thought he would be the best one to do, eventhough it wasn’t easy it was easy in his style, I ended up with a lot of blisters, scars and rash burns.”
Matt took part in the York Marathon in 2021 in an attempt to achieve a world record. He was given a target time by Guinness of three hours and 30 minutes, Matthew completed it in two hours and 56 minutes, gaining the record as the first person to complete a marathon dressed as a professional wrestler.
He spoke of the difficult losing his father but said his diagnosis made it easier to come to terms with. He said: “It was a very difficult time.
“It’s difficult for anyone to grieve, but for me I was able to use my condition to get on with life and I got more qualities out of him after he passed away. It was very hard, but because I am a catholic, I feel the Lord got me through.”
Matt also attempted to break the same record for Leeds half marathon but he hasn't received confirmation yet as to whether he did it. Throughout the years before his diagnosis Matt found it difficult to explain to people why he felt like he did, often finding that people couldn't understand it.
He said: “I see the world differently, because I do things differently I had to educate people that I do it this way, this is how it is and why I do it. It was quite easy for me to understand having aspergers, it was a really good way to understand who I was.
“I think the difficulty might have been for the people around me, especially the close ones, it was a bit of a shock to them. My mum adapted but they didn’t understand it straight away.”
Following the diagnosis, Matt decided to own his condition and spread awareness for others that may be undiagnosed or diganosed at a late stage.
He said: “I can speak three different languages, I link that to the aspergers. I know my strengths and weaknesses, I know I have talents, I have been able to use my talents. It’s projected me to have a Guiness World Record, that most people don’t have, the qualities I do have, I have been able to use them and empower them.”
Matthew has had a number of media appearances since his world record achievement, including handing medals to Commonwealth Games athletes, tv appearances and an upcoming stint at the National Television Awards. He hopes that by sharing his story, others might feel more comfortable in talking about Aspergers.
“Talking is a big thing, that’s the best way to move forward really," he said. "I found in my life, without my parent support I probably wouldn’t be as advanced as I am now. Look for any support that you can, if you feel like you are struggling maybe look for online help, find out a bit more about yourself.”
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