| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1996-11-12) November 12, 1996 (age 28) Huntington, New York, United States |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Running |
| Event(s) | 1000m, 1500m, Mile |
| Medal record | |
Michael Brannigan (born November 12, 1996), commonly known as Mikey Brannigan, is an American track and field athlete.
Career
Brannigan was a two-time national champion at Northport High School, winning the individual crown in the 2-mile race as well as the anchor leg of Northport's winning 4 x 1-mile team at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor championships in Greensboro, N.C. in June 2014 (see: The Northport Observer, 6/19/14 and 6/26/14 editions). He was a six-time National H.S. All-American (see: The Northport Observer, 3/19/15 edition).
Brannigan was not allowed to compete at the collegiate level because he could not meet National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) academic standards, due to Autism.
He announced he would compete as a professional prior to his June 2015 graduation from Northport High School (see: The Northport Observer, 5/7/15 edition).
He competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in the men's 1500-meter race, winning a gold medal.
He finished fourth in the 1500m at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo in September 2021 (see: The Northport Observer, 9/9/21 edition).
He won the bronze medal in the 1500m at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris in September 2024 (see: The Northport Observer, 9/12/24 edition).
Personal life
Brannigan was born on November 12, 1996, in East Northport, New York, 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. He was nonverbal until age 5. He began running at age 8 under the guidance of Steve Cuomo, the founder of the Rolling Thunder program for runners with mental and physical disabilities (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0Gtdf2HAM8). He attended Northport High School, accomplishing an extremely successful distance running career at the scholastic level. Despite his disability, he still saw academic success, taking and passing Algebra I against the recommendations of his school. Brannigan has been coached by Sonja Robinson since 2016
References
- ^ "Michael Brannigan". Team USA. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ "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.
External links
- Mike Brannigan at World Athletics
- Mikey Brannigan at Team USA (archive September 14, 2017)
- Michael Brannigan at the International Paralympic Committee
- Michael Brannigan at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics (alternate link)
- 1996 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Huntington, New York
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the World Para Athletics Championships
- World Para Athletics Championships winners
- Paralympic track and field athletes for the United States
- American male middle-distance runners
- Paralympic gold medalists for the United States
- Paralympic bronze medalists for the United States
- Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Autistic sportspeople
- Competitors in athletics with intellectual disability
- Medalists at the 2015 Parapan American Games
- Sportspeople from Suffolk County, New York
- 21st-century American sportsmen