Paralympian Michael Milton warms up for Europe at Canberra Airport. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
There may be gold on offer, but the road to the Paralympics isn’t paved with the shiny yellow stuff.
Which is why Canberra’s legendary Paralympian alpine skier and comeback kid, Michael Milton, is grateful for a $50,000 sponsorship from Canberra Airport to help him get to the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Italy in March.
Milton – a six-time gold medallist, world record holder, and three-time cancer survivor – came out of retirement two months ago for a shot at another Paralympics, 20 years since his last.
He lost his left leg at nine, and has survived bouts of oesophageal and bowel cancers.
On Monday (17 November), he will travel to Europe to race in the hope of qualifying for a number of events.
During the Australian winter, Milton, 52, trained at Thredbo and raced at the National Championships, winning the giant slalom.
He heads to Europe ranked 32nd in the world in that event. Before he returns to Canberra for Christmas, he hopes to improve his ranking but also qualify to race slalom, downhill, super giant slalom and alpine combined.
Then, assuming he qualifies, he will spend February in the US preparing for the Games, which start on 6 March.
Getting there involves a lot of hard work, equipment, travel, insurance and accommodation, and until an Australian athlete is actually in the team, that’s on them.
For Airport CEO Stephen Byron, lending Milton a hand was a no-brainer.
“Michael is no ordinary athlete, he is par excellence, a person who’s achieved not just at the highest level, but the most at the highest level of any Australian Paralympic athlete, and as a Canberran we’re very proud of that,” he said.
“He’s in a great sport, skiing, and for us the process was read about it, think about it for about 4.5 seconds, and want to see how much we can support him in realising his ambitions and purpose to deliver again in 2026.”
Michael Milton and Canberra Airport CEO Stephen Byron.
Milton said the sponsorship had transformed his campaign.
“It was only 10 days ago that I was looking at how I would do things given the resources that I had and wondering whether I could make this trip and qualify,” he said.
“It really is the difference between being able to have a great preparation to look to qualify for the Paralympic Games and not going.”
Towards the end of next week, he will be on glacier in Austria followed by racing in there, in Italy and Switzerland.
For a man with nothing left to prove, why is he doing it?
Milton said the new campaign was about challenging himself, not proving anything to anybody else.
“The motivation to do that is entirely internal for me, and it really is about coming back from cancer number three and feeling physically healthy and making the most out of life, squeezing the marrow out of life,” he said.
Milton said skiing was relatively easier than track and field because you had gravity behind you.
“I’m really fortunate that I have the skills and still the athleticism required and most importantly, the motivation to still ski fast,” he said.
Milton is realistic about his chances, saying he could enter the Games ranked in the top 20 and aim for a top-10 finish.
“I’m not shooting for medals anymore like I was when I was younger,” he said.
“I’m realistic about my own capabilities, and if I can enjoy the journey, make it fun, ski fast, have my family involved, then there are just so many positives in that for me.”
At his stage of life, there are obvious physical challenges, as well as technical ones, including adapting to changes in the sport over the last 20 years, such as new equipment and rules.
“There are challenges with working with a body that is 52 years old,” Milton said.
“There’s good parts about it, don’t get me wrong, important good parts, my knee’s feeling great, my back’s feeling great, there’s a little niggle in the left elbow, but that’s not a major part of things,” he said.
When he got the call telling him Canberra Airport was going to support him, Milton was actually there and raced upstairs to give the caller a hug.
“It’s great to have this partnership and the support of Canberra Airport,” he said.
Milton is open to further corporate and community support. Follow his journey at Michael Milton.
