Michael Milton OAM

Michael Milton OAM is one of Australia's best-known athletes. His four-gold-medal haul at the Salt Lake Winter Paralympic Games endeared him to a sport-loving nation and earned him the title of Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.

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Testimonials for Michael Milton OAM

Michael's presentation was impressive, moving and powerful and was very well received by all at the Canberra Centenary Speakers Series at the National Portrait Gallery. We really appreciated his generosity in sharing his personal story, as one of the subjects in our Collection.

Amanda Andlee Poland, Manager Learning Programs, National Portrait Gallery

Thank you so much for your inspirational and very generous presentation to our Corporate Division. You have an enviable ability to engage and take people with you on what continues to be a very personal experience, but so clearly resonates with a broad range of people. We appreciated how you related the take outs from your experiences to the everyday dilemmas and challenges. We were privileged to hear you speak, and the feedback has been outstandingly positive - I have heard directly and indirectly that for many it was the most inspiring hour they have ever spent.

Jane McGowan, People Strategy - Human Resources & Strategic Planning Branch, Corporate Division of the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

Thank you for your contribution to our 10th Anniversary celebrations. You made a deep impression on all the participants! I was delighted with your contribution and as I had imagined, your thoughts, approach and insights provided us with a wonderful beginning to what were to prove an excellent couple of days. The participants remarked on your tenacity, persistence, spirit, enthusiasm and courage. To have someone display these qualities with such transparency, was a gift to us and you left your mark on the memories of all of us who had the privilege to listen to you. Thanks for giving us a piece of yourself, and thanks for your openness, the demonstration of risk taking, hard work and a confidence to back yourself, all important qualities for us to take into our next ten years.

Geoff Officer, Managing Director, Donington Group

Your speech, highlighting some of the positive things about having a disability, and the incredible problem solving skills disability requires a person to develop certainly bought home this aspect of the day for me. The feedback from my colleagues has been very positive; the thought of skiing down an almost vertical slope certainly made an impression! It was a pleasure to meet you, and thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

Dr Ian watt AO, Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Thank you so much for attending our planning session last Friday. All of our staff commented on your inspirational story and attitude. We had a very productive session in the afternoon and you certainly helped set the scene and open the minds of our team.

Ian Hill, Director, Australian Capital Tourism

Many, many thanks for your inspiring conclusion to CHIK's Health-e-Nation conference on the Gold Coast. You well and truly delivered on the brief and we've received great feedback on your session. You have a remarkable ability to bring an audience with you on your journey through life.

Sally Glass, Managing Director, CHIK Services

How great it was to meet Michael and what an inspiration he is. I'm sure Michael has the same effect on most people but I found myself awe inspired and speechless hearing his story and his achievements. I have no doubt after meeting and hearing him speak that there will be a great deal more stories.

Bev Borgas, Ramsay Health Care

Michael's will to achieve no matter what the challenges he faced was inspirational, we all could learn a lot in the way he keeps picking himself up and succeeding at the highest level, may he live a long and happy life.

Brian Haling, Toyota Dealer Conference

Very inspirational, very interesting. A great speaker, I had seen a programme on pay about him and it was great to see him in real life. Puts things back into perspective that things aren't always that bad and could be a lot worse. A genuine great Aussie hero who hasn't let his reputation go to his head.

Paul Cairncross, Toyota Dealer Conference

Michael Milton OAM travels from ACT, Australia
Fee Range: POA

Michael Milton OAM's Biography

In April 2003 Michael tried something new: speed skiing, the drag racing of alpine sport. On the steepest slope in the world he clocked over 193km/hr, smashing a 16-year-old world record and becoming the fastest skier with a disability.

Every year after that he bettered his own world record until, in April 2006, he clocked a staggering 213.65km/hr to also become the fastest Australian skier ever. Click here to see a list of Michael's record speeds.

A month earlier at the 2006 Winter Paralympic Games (in his fifth Paralympic Games) Michael's ski racing career came to an end. Under a new, tougher classification system, he won a silver medal in the Downhill, achieving his goal to "...win a medal, any colour." His ski racing medal count stands at eleven Paralympic medals (six gold) and eleven World Championships medals (six gold).

Milton then pursued a new sport: cycling. After six months of intense training, he not only won a gold medal in the 3000m Individual Pursuit at the Australian Track Cycling Championships in February 2007 but also broke the Australian record.

His dream to make the Australian team and compete at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games was sidelined when he was diagnosed with Oesophagael Cancer in July 2007. He then made an amazing comeback from this serious illness to record times at the 2008 Australian Track Cycling Championships comparable to his results in the same events 12 months before.

In June 2008 Michael was named as one of 18 athletes in the Paralympic Cycling Team to compete in Beijing. His sixth Paralympic Games and his first as a summer athlete, he arrived in Beijing less than 12 months since chemotherapy radiotherapy and major surgery. In many ways, he'd already won. Michael competed in three events - the 1km Time Trial and the 300m Individual Pursuit on the track and the 60.5km Road Race.

Michael has raced in the Mark Webber Challenge, a five-day adventure race in Tasmania and in the 293km long Coast to Coast Kokoda Challenge. He has climbed Mt Kilimanjaro and walked Kokoda twice.

He has also competed in triathlon, representing Australia at two World Paratriathlon Championships, finishing fourth in China in 2011.

Michael has also completed a marathon on crutches. Aiming to break the existing Guinness World Record for Fastest Marathon on Crutches (one leg) which stood at 6 hours, 42:47, Michael completed the distance in a time of 5 hours, 23:50. The record is yet to be ratified. Watch his marathon story here.

In May 2017, Michael tackled his first ultra-marathon - the Ultra-Trail Australia 50km race in the Blue Mountains. It's tough terrain when you're running on crutches but he finished the course in just over 12 hours, and only 10 hours active running time.

In 2018 he set his third world record - running 5km on crutches in just over 32 minutes (32:13.69).

These days, Michael describes himself as a 'weekend warrior' running and cycling in charity events and for fitness and fun. He also enjoys sailing, rollerblading and, of course, skiing with friends and his teenage kids.

He also has a new business. Michael owns and operates two retail stores (in Canberra and Sydney) dedicated to finding and stocking the most magical licensed Harry Potter™ merchandise.

To enquire about Michael contact Helene Greenham directly: helene@platinumspeakers.com.au

Speaking Topics Include

Overcoming obstacles and life challenges

Being competitive

Hard work ethic

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