By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
It is a privilege to welcome the iconic deaf swimmer and Reality TV personality Matt Klotz as a guest on The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.
Matt discovered his passion for swimming at an early age and went on to compete for Louisiana State University. He went on to make his debut in the 2013 Summer Deaflympics in Bulgaria, where he claimed two gold medals in the men’s 100m and 200m backstroke, alongside a bronze medal in the men’s 400m individual medley event. Four years later, Matt competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics in Samsun, Turkey, where he won five medals, including three gold. In 2018, Matt Klotz shattered two deaf world records during the US National Swimming Championship and was awarded the 2018 ICSD Deaf Sportsman of the Year by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf.
He also competed in the 2019 ICSD World Deaf Swimming Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the 2021 Summer Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil. During the 2021 event, Matt took home nine medals, including three gold medals in men’s 50m freestyle, men’s 50m backstroke, and men’s 100m backstroke events. Last year, Matt traveled to Tokyo, Japan, to compete in the 2025 Summer Deaflympics, where he won 10 medals, including five Gold, and broke three World Records (50m backstroke, 4×100 mixed free and medley relays. Throughout his four Deaflympic appearances, he earned 32 total medals and is one away from the most in Deaflympic history.
In 2023, Matt Klotz made history as the first deaf and hard-of-hearing houseguest on Big Brother USA’s twenty-fifth season. Matt made it to 100 days, outlasted many of his fellow competitors, including Survivor legend Cirie Fields, and won one Head-of-Household competition, two VETOs, and $5,000 before losing the winning title to friend and ally Jag Bains. But he also made history as the first deaf and hard-of-hearing Runner-Up.
On this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Matt Klotz spoke about competing in the Deaflympics, his bond with Cirie in the Big Brother 25 house, and his passion for fitness.
You can connect with Matt Klotz on social media! Visit his Instagram & TikTok channels!
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