Matt Shirvington is a former Australian sprinter and current TV host. After retiring from athletics, Shirvington became a popular sports broadcaster, working for networks like Seven and Fox Sports. Currently, he is the co-host of the hit Australian morning show Sunrise.
Jack Wighton Biography:
| Name | Matt Shirvington |
| Date of Birth | 25 October 1978 |
| Place of Birth | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Age | 45 years old |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Height | 185 centimeters (6 feet 1 inch) |
| Position | Sprinter (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay) |
| Professional Debut | 1998 Commonwealth Games |
| Sport | Athletics (Track and Field) |
| Representing | Australia |
| Major Achievements | 1998 Commonwealth Games 4x100m Silver Medal, 5x Australian 100m Champion (1998-2002) |
| Wife | Jessica Shirvington |
| Children | Three (Evelyn, Marcus, Beau) |
| Net Worth | Approximately $5 million AUD |
Who is Matt Shirvington?
Matt Shirvington is a former Australian sprinter turned television presenter and sports broadcaster. Born in 1978 in Sydney, he emerged as one of Australia’s top sprinters in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
As an athlete, Shirvington specialized in the 100m and 200m sprint events. His personal best times were an impressive 10.03 seconds in the 100m and 20.20 seconds in the 200m. He represented Australia at two Commonwealth Games – Kuala Lumpur 1998 and Melbourne 2006. His biggest achievement came in 1998 when he won a silver medal as part of Australia’s 4x100m relay team.
Though he narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Shirvington had a very successful domestic career in Australia. He won multiple national titles in the 100m and 200m and held the Australian record in the 200m for several years.
After retiring from professional athletics in the late 2000s, Shirvington made a career transition into sports broadcasting and television presenting. His charismatic personality and expertise in track and field made him a natural fit in front of the cameras.
He landed his first major TV role in 2008 as a commentator and presenter covering athletics for the Seven Network. This included live event coverage as well as lifestyle programs about the sport. Shirvington’s broadcasting talents were on full display during the 2012 London Olympics.
In the years since, he has worked as a host and commentator for networks like Fox Sports, covering major events like the Commonwealth Games and World Athletics Championships. Shirvington has also branched out into other television roles, co-hosting shows like Australia’s Greatest Athlete and The Weekend Sunrise program.
Outside of TV, he has authored books, delivered motivational speeches, and even tried his hand at reality television, competing on Celebrity Apprentice Australia in 2022 in support of his chosen charity.
At 45 years old, Matt Shirvington has transitioned seamlessly from life as an elite athlete to becoming one of Australia’s most recognizable sports broadcasters and television personalities. His energy, passion and understanding of athletics has allowed his media career to truly take off.
Matt Shirvington’s Early Life and Education:
Matt Shirvington was born on 25 October 1978 in Sydney, Australia. He grew up in the city’s western suburbs.
From a very young age, it was clear Matt had a talent for running and moving quickly. As a little kid, he was always racing his friends and siblings. His parents noticed his speed and natural ability early on.
In primary school, Matt joined his first track and field club at just 8 years old. He immediately took to sprint running events like the 100m and 200m dashes. His coaches could see his raw potential.
As Matt entered his teenage years, his times kept dropping and he developed into an elite junior athlete. He attended Westfields Sports High School, which had excellent training facilities and coaches for young runners.
At Westfields, Matt’s sprint skills blossomed. He started setting records and winning state titles. His biggest accomplishment as a teen was breaking the Australian under-18 record in the 200m in 1995 at age 17.
After high school, Matt accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Arkansas in the United States. This was a powerhouse university program for sprinting and track and field.
Training at Arkansas took Matt’s speed and performance to new levels. His 100m time dropped below 10.2 seconds for the first time in 1998. That same year, he qualified for his first major international competition – the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
At age 20, Matt earned a silver medal as part of Australia’s 4x100m relay squad at the Commonwealth Games. It was his first big global medal and a sign of greater things to come.
After four years at Arkansas, Matt returned home to Sydney as a professional runner sponsored by major brands. He built a new training base, working with elite Australian coaches like Phil King.
Though he narrowly missed making the 2000 Sydney Olympics team, Matt’s athletic career truly took off in his early 20s as he made teams for the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games.
All of Matt’s early speed skills, high school development, and university training set the stage for over a decade as one of Australia’s most successful sprinters from 2000-2010. His roots and upbringing paved the way for his future success.
Matt Shirvington’s Wife:
Matt Shirvington is married to a woman named Jessica Shirvington. Jessica is also Australian like Matt.
Matt and Jessica met many years ago when they were both young athletes. Jessica used to compete in the long jump and other track and field events.
After dating for several years, Matt and Jessica got married in 2008. Their wedding was in Sydney where they grew up.
Matt and Jessica now have three children together – two boys and one girl. Their kids’ names are Evelyn, Marcus, and Beau.
The Shirvington family lives together in a house in Sydney. Now that Matt has a TV job, he is home more to spend time with his wife and kids.
Jessica is very supportive of Matt’s television career. She sometimes goes with him to big sporting events that he is working at.
When Matt is not working, he enjoys being a dad and doing fun activities with Jessica and the children. They like going to the park, and beach, and exploring around Sydney.
Matt has said that Jessica is his biggest fan and supporter. She was there for him during his athletic career and continues to encourage his TV work.
Having a wife like Jessica has allowed Matt to achieve his dreams in sports and broadcasting. She takes great care of their family behind the scenes.
So in summary, Jessica Bratich is Matt Shirvington’s loving wife of over 14 years. She is a former athlete herself and is now a devoted mother to their three young kids.
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Matt Shirvington’s Career:
Matt Shirvington was a super speedy runner from Australia. He was an expert at short sprint races like the 100 meters and 200 meters. Matt also participated in relay races where he ran as part of a team.
The 100m dash was Matt’s strongest event. He won the Australian national 100m title an impressive 5 years in a row from 1998 to 2002! At the 1998 Commonwealth Games, Matt set a new Australian record by running 100m in just 10.03 seconds. That’s outrageously fast!
Though he never took home an Olympic medal, Matt proudly represented Australia at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He raced against the world’s quickest sprinters but came up just short of the podium.
One of Matt’s biggest achievements was winning a silver medal in the 4x100m relay at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. He anchored a speedy Aussie squad to the second-place finish. Matt also made it to the finals of the 60m sprint twice at the World Indoor Championships.
From 1998 to 2007, Matt traveled all over competing for Australia in prestigious events like the World Championships and Commonwealth Games. He matched his blistering speed against the planet’s elite runners year after year.
Matt’s final major competition was the 2006 Commonwealth Games hosted in his hometown of Melbourne. After that event at age 28, he decided to retire from professional track and field. He walked away as one of Australia’s greatest sprinters over a decade-long career.
With his athletic talents, Matt soon transitioned into a new career in television broadcasting. His first TV role came in 2004 as a contestant on the show Dancing with the Stars.
The following year in 2005, Matt started working as a reporter and host for the program Beyond Tomorrow. This helped launch his journey into the entertainment world.
Matt’s big break happened in 2010 when he was hired by Sky News Australia as a sports presenter and commentator. He finally got to share his athletic knowledge by covering all the major Australian sporting events on TV.
In 2012, Matt took a unique role by serving as a sprint training coach for professional rugby league players. He used his track speed expertise to help athletes from a different sport!
A year later in 2013, Matt’s profile grew as he became the new host of rugby league coverage on Fox Sports. He also co-hosted the sports commentary show The Back Page.
Over the years, Matt stayed busy working for many Australian networks in various roles such as:
- Guest hosting stints on shows like The Biggest Loser in 2010
- Hosting Friday night rugby league games
- Co-hosting award shows like the ASTRA Awards in 2014
- Weekend sports anchor and host for the 7 Network from 2020-2023
Matt’s charismatic personality, good looks, and athletic insight make him a natural for TV work. Aussie viewers enjoy having him as a host and analyst.
Some of his most recent roles include hosting game shows Holey Moley and Ultimate Tag beginning in 2021. In 2022, he became a host of the travel program Sydney Weekender.
At major events like the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Matt provides his voice and analysis as part of the broadcasting commentary teams.
In June 2023, Matt landed arguably his biggest job yet – he was named the new permanent co-host of the hugely popular morning show Sunrise on the 7 Network! This high-profile gig cemented Matt as one of Australia’s top TV talents.
From teenage sprint phenom to mainstream television star, Matt Shirvington’s career journey has been incredibly successful. He first achieved greatness on the track as an elite runner. Then he smoothly pivoted to finding fame and popularity through sports broadcasting and entertainment shows across Australia.
Matt Shirvington Net Worth
Matt Shirvington has built up a pretty large net worth over his career. Experts estimate his total net worth is around 5 million Australian dollars.
A huge part of Matt’s net worth comes from his many years working on television in Australia. He has earned big salaries and bonuses from TV networks for being a host and broadcaster.
When Matt first stopped being an athlete and started working on TV, his net worth was not very high. But as he got more and more important hosting jobs, his net worth kept increasing over time.
Some of the TV jobs that grew Matt’s net worth were being a host for Fox Sports covering rugby league games, being a lead sports reporter on Channel 7, hosting game shows like Holey Moley, and finally becoming a co-host on the popular morning show Sunrise.
In addition to his TV salary, Matt also earns extra money from endorsement deals, speaking fees, and other business projects. Companies want to work with him because he is so famous in Australia.
Back when Matt was just a professional runner in the 1990s and early 2000s, his net worth was not very high at all. Athletes don’t earn massive salaries like TV stars do. It was only after switching to a TV career that Matt’s net worth took off.
At 45 years old today, Matt Shirvington has accumulated around $5 million from nearly 20 years working in Australian television and entertainment after retiring from running. His net worth could keep growing if he stays a top TV personality.
For someone who started as just an athlete, becoming a multi-millionaire through television shows how talented and business-smart Matt is, in addition to being a great runner.
Matt Shirvington’s height and age:
Matt Shirvington is a very tall person. His height is 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm). This towering height gave Matt an advantage when he was a professional sprinter. His long legs allowed him to take huge strides and run extremely fast. Even now that he doesn’t race anymore, Matt’s tall 6’1″ frame helps him look confident and commanding on television cameras.
Matt’s age is 45 years old. Matt achieved his biggest successes in athletics when he was in his late teens and twenties. He won medals at the Commonwealth Games at just 20 years old in 1998. After a decade-long running career, Matt retired from professional sports in 2006 at age 28. That’s when he transitioned into a new career in television broadcasting.
