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Across a life seemingly wired to discover his physical and mental limits, Michael Milton – who at age nine became a leg amputee – has competed in international Para-triathlon, completed an ultra-marathon, climbed Mt Kilimanjaro and twice walked the Kokoda Track.
But it is Milton’s pioneering achievements as Australia’s greatest Winter Paralympian for which he is best known, leading to his elevation to Legend in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, to be celebrated at the annual induction and awards gala dinner in Melbourne on November 18.
Milton will become the 51st Legend in the SAHOF and just the second Paralympian after athletics great Louise Sauvage. It’s acknowledgement for the winner of Australia’s first Paralympic (or Olympic) Winter Games gold medal, in the slalom at Albertville 1992. Overall, Milton won 11 Paralympic medals, including six gold, four of which he claimed at Salt Lake City 2002, in the LW2 classification downhill, giant slalom, slalom and super-G.
“You look through the list of names and struggle to compare your own name and achievements,” Milton told SAHOF upon the announcement.
“But I guess the good part of that is that I’m not the judge and so I don’t have to decide whether I’m worthy or not. I feel very comfortable leaving that to others.
“Not long after that I started flicking through the list, going ‘Oh, OK, are there any Winter athletes here? Ooh, no. That makes me the first. That’s very cool. Are there any Paralympians on here? Yes, Louise is here. So I can be the second.
“A lot of the Legends on the list are, sadly, no longer with us,” he added. “As a three-time cancer survivor, I’m just happy this isn’t a posthumous award.’’
In 2007, one year after he set a world speed skiing record for a person with a disability, Milton was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. Incredibly, he went on to become a Summer Paralympian, qualifying for three cycling events for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. More recently, Milton faced another cancer challenge requiring the removal of a tumour.
Longevity, determination and resilience are criteria for elevation to Legend status, further confirming Milton’s place.
Sport Australia Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chair, Bruce McAvaney, said: “Michael knocked down so many barriers. His is an extraordinary story; it is breathtaking. His courage and audacity have resulted in achievements that are hard to comprehend.”
Of Milton and fellow Legend inductee, squash great Geoff Hunt, SAHOF chair John Bertrand said: “Like the 49 Legends before them, both Geoff and Michael have left an indelible mark on the history of sport in this country, through achievements that inspired generations to follow.’’
Asked how being elevated to Legend amplified his recognition as an Athlete SAHOF member in 2014, Milton said: “I guess I’m a little bit older and fatter and slower than I used to be, so certainly it’s a nice reminder and takes me back to my previous life as a professional athlete.
“Is it a different honour? Yes, absolutely. Being inducted to a Sports Hall of Fame, especially SAHOF, is amazing and wonderful, but taking the next step to a Legend is a big step in terms of who they judge to be worthy and how you look back at your own career, and gauging how others might see it.’’
By David Sygall, Paralympics Australia and SAHOF
Published 12 November, 2024.
