TikTok has found its new crush, and it’s none other than Olympian Matthew Anderson, a key player on the USA men’s volleyball team.
The 37-year-old heartthrob is making waves at the 2024 Paris Olympics, not only for his good looks but also for his athletic prowess. Here are some facts about the volleyball player:
Matt Anderson was born on April 18, 1987, in West Seneca, New York. He grew up in a family outnumbered by females, as the youngest brother – his mother Nancy and older sisters Jennifer, Joelle, and Amy. The family, which included Matt and his older brother Joshua, suffered a significant loss when their father Michael Anderson passed away in 2010.
In 2020, Matt married Jacqueline Gillum, and the couple welcomed their son Michael James later that year. They expanded their family with the arrival of a daughter in 2022.
Matt Anderson made his Olympic debut at the London Olympics in 2012, where he was the youngest player on the men’s volleyball team, finishing in 5th place. He continued to represent the USA in the following Olympics – winning a Bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, placing 10th in Tokyo in 2020, and now competing in Paris in 2024, where he aims to dominate his sport.
The 2024 Paris Olypics will mark Matt’s fourth time attending. In an Instagram post dedicated to the accomplishment, he wrote “Got the official news today I’m going to be a 4 time Olympian. Grateful doesn’t carry enough weight behind it. The hours in the gym, early mornings & late nights seem endless at times. Lucky to have been in the position to put my head down and work through pain, heartbreak, triumph, personal loss, and still come out with the endless support from my superhero wife @snackieanderson, my beautiful children, my family, and my friends. Can’t wait to have them all by my side at the Olympic Games in Paris! Here we come!”
Matt is also a strong advocate for autism awareness, as he was inspired by his nephew Tristan, who has autism. To honor his nephew, Matt has a tattoo dedicated to him and hosts an annual volleyball tournament to benefit children with autism.
In 2019, he shared a heartfelt post on Instagram in honor of World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness Month: “Today is World Autism Awareness Day and April is Autism Awareness Month. Wear your ribbons & blue and light it up blue. Autism affects a large number of people. Scientists and doctors are working hard to help diagnose and develop new rehabilitation techniques. Spread love over all things.”
