Michael Brannigan (born November 12, 1996), commonly known as Mikey Brannigan, is an American track and field athlete.[1]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 12, 1996 Huntington, New York, United States |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Running |
| Event(s) | 1000m, 1500m, Mile |
Career edit
He was not allowed to compete at the collegiate level because he could not meet National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) academic standards, due to Autism.[2]
He competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in the men's 1500-meters race, winning a gold medal.[1]
Personal life edit
Brannigan was born on November 12, 1996, in East Northport, New York,[1] to parents Edie and Kevin Brannigan. Both parents said they knew of his disability at 18 months of age, and he was diagnosed with Autism at age 2.[2] He was nonverbal until age 5.[3] He began running from a young age.[2] He attended Northport High School, accomplishing an extremely successful distance running career at the High school level. Despite his disability, he still saw academic success, taking and passing Algebra I against the recommendations of his school. Mikey is currently coached by Sonja Robinson. Sonja began coaching Mikey in 2016[2]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Michael Brannigan". Team USA. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Mikey Brannigan Wasn't Allowed to Compete in College. Now, He's Going for Gold in Rio". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ "The Unstoppable Star: Mikey Brannigan". runnersworld.com. January 25, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.