Michael
Roeger

Michael Roeger does not scare easy. No wonder why, either. Mere mortals fear snakes and spiders, and the three-time Paralympian has the endurance and speed to beat both in a foot race.

Michael got his start in Para-athletics as a 12-year-old, when six-time Paralympic champion Neil Fuller dropped by his school in the small South Australian town of Langhorne Creek and encouraged him to give racing a go.

However, unlike Neil, who won most of his gold medals over 100m, Michael was better suited to middle-distance running, and contested three events – the men’s 800m T46, men’s 1500m T46 and men’s 5000m T46 – on debut at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. His best result was seventh place over 1500m, but a lot can change in four years, and by the time of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Michael was one of the top medal hopes of the Australian Para-athletics team.

Devastatingly, these hopes were all but dashed on the night before the men’s 800m T46, when Michael was struck down by gastrointestinal bleeding. He pushed on, determined to make his family and friends proud, but was forced to drop out of the race after just one lap of London Stadium.

In 2019, Michael returned to the English capital as a Paralympic bronze medallist and three-time World Championships medallist, and completed his redemption story with a world title in the men’s marathon T46.

Selected for his third Games at Tokyo 2020 as the current T46 world record holder in the 1500m, 5000m and marathon, the chance of a Paralympic gold medal was within reach. However, his preparations were significantly hindered when he suffered a stress fracture to his lower leg six weeks before competition. Despite the injury, Michael finished the marathon T46 in a respectable 2:34:45 to finish in sixth position.