Caruana’s inspiring Judaism and sporting journey

Catholic-raised 26-year-old Sydney para athlete Matt Caruana – who in late 2023 successfully completed his conversion process to Judaism – embodies a simple yet powerful philosophy: “the only way is up.”

It’s a message he has shared for years, when speaking to young people in schools, universities, churches and synagogues.

Ten years ago, when just 16, he jumped from a seven-storey building in an attempt to end his life.

He survived, but sustained a permanent spinal cord injury.

“I remember waking up in hospital, and I had people around me telling me that things were going to get better, but I didn’t believe it at the time,” he told The AJN earlier this month.

“But at the end of the day, there was hope – I wanted a better life, and that only came about when I started making actionable steps.

“I’m so incredibly grateful that I had people around me that encouraged and supported me to do that, as I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

From being a troubled teen who could see no future, Caruana has now set himself the realistic goal of becoming a Paralympic climber.

He discovered the indoor sport when attending a “come and try” day, at a friend’s suggestion.

“I remember, I got maybe four holds up the wall, and I slipped off, and just thought to myself – I can climb higher than that – and from that moment, I fell in love with the sport.

“I would then just go to climbing gyms by myself for two hours or so, using the auto-belay wall to train, at every opportunity, which I still do to this day.”

For the last 12 months, he has trained the house down, and represented Australia in the men’s A01 [functional] sport class, making his international tournament debut in Innsbruck, Austria, before placing sixth overall in a para climbing world championships in Seoul last September.

“Representing your country, and wearing the Australian jersey, is not something I take lightly,” Caruana said.

“I want to not only make my country proud every time, but also everyone who supports me proud.”

What captivates Caruana about para climbing is also its technical complexity.

In his sport class, athletes rely on finger holds and upper body strength, making efficiency and quick-thinking on route navigation crucial.

“We have a maximum of six minutes, and your ranking is based on how high you climb.

“In qualifying, you get to know the route the night before, but if you make a final, you only get six minutes to learn the route.

“So you need to really have it mapped out in your mind, how you’re going to tackle it.”

Fresh from the Australian para climbing team’s onboarding camp in Canberra, where testing showed continued strength and agility advances, Caruana is now preparing for an intense 2026 season that will include world cups in Innsbruck in June, and later in back to back rounds in Gunsan, Korea, and Fukuoka, Japan.

While para climbing will debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics in four sport classes, the A01 category has been left out for now.

But rather than being disappointed by that, Caruana has instead set himself the goal of becoming a Paralympian, and he told The AJN that “Brisbane 2023 is looking hopeful for inclusion of my sport class.

“So I will use the extra time to keep learning, improve, and keep competing at world cups and world championships.

“It will be interesting to see how the upcoming season unfolds.

“And if I do get to compete in a ‘home’ Paralympic Games in 2032 in Brisbane, then that’s going to be pretty cool!”

Interestingly, Caruana had coincidentally happened to build up upper body strength prior to his life-changing “come and try” day of para climbing, when doing outdoor training on the exercise bars and ropes beside Bondi Beach with Marcus “Bondi” Botte and his friends.

“They all backed me 100 per cent, and Marcus gave me the confidence to break a Guinness World Record for most towel pull-ups in one minute – which I did!”

Caruana is buoyed, deeply grateful, and immensely touched by the response of Sydney’s Jewish community to his current shule – Cremorne Synagogue’s – recent GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to cover some of his upcoming travelling and training costs.

Already, more than $5200 from a target of $6500 has been raised.

“I was just blown away by that,” he said.

“People who I’ve never met have donated $500, and I feel truly humbled by that kind of support.

“In my earlier life, I was such a lone wolf, and I went from that, to finding a community that I really resonate with – the Jewish community – and I’ve become so much stronger because of it.

“I’ve learned that life’s not all about you – it’s about the collective. Finding Hashem was such a moving experience.”

Caruana recalls how when he first visited a synagogue – Dover Heights Shule – when brought along by his Jewish friend Sasha Levitt, “it just felt like home … and then when I found God, I felt like my purpose was taken to another level.”

When asked for his best advice for young people doing it tough, Caruana said, “acknowledge the pain, but keep taking positive action – there is always hope.”

To donate to cover part of Matt Caruana’s training and travel costs to compete overseas this season, visit https://gofund.me/b547ec9a1