Six-time Winter Paralympic gold medallist Michael Milton elevated to legend status in Sport Australia Hall of Fame

He’s the six-time Winter Paralympic gold medallist who now dresses up as a Harry Potter character for a day job. Find out the inspiring story behind our greater winter Paralympian.

Michael Milton on the slopes at the 2002 Winter Paralympics.

When Paralympic champion Michael Milton learned bone cancer was going to force the amputation of his left leg at the age of nine, his first question to his doctor and parents was: “Am I going to be able to ski again?”.

The son of a Thredbo ski patroller, Milton grew up on the slopes and had been skiing since he was a preschooler.

The thought of not being able to hit the snow was almost too much for a young Milton to fathom amid his traumatic diagnosis and the lure of one-day getting back on his skis became a driving force in his recovery.

“When I got cancer as a nine year old and lost my leg, it was one of the first questions I asked — will I still be able to go skiing?’,” Milton recalled this week.

“The doctor was there, he was obviously not a skier, but my parents were and they said ‘Yes’.

“They actually showed me a videotape two weeks afterwards — a VHS videotape back then — of someone skiing on one leg.

“That would certainly be the video that I would pull out and watch during some of the worst times in my treatment just to be able to close my eyes and see somebody skiing and then close my eyes and dream about doing it myself.

“It was a key part of the rehab from losing my leg and going through cancer and a bit of a dream at the end of that whole horrible journey to be able to go skiing again.

“From that moment forward it was a lifelong passion.”

Paralympic skier Michael Milton of Australia on his way to winning LW2 division of men's super-G race at 2002 Salt Lake Winter Paralympics at Snowbasin, Utah.

Now a three-time cancer survivor, Milton, 51, was not only able to go skiing again, but he went on to become Australia’s most successful Paralympic Winter Games athlete.

In a remarkable career, Milton won 11 medals – six gold, three silver and two bronze – across five Winter Games.

The Canberran made history as Australia’s first Winter Paralympic/Olympic gold medallist when he won in the slalom in Albertville, France, in 1992.

Milton’s biggest Paralympic haul came at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games when he swept all four alpine titles in the slalom, giant slalom, downhill and Super-G.

His sporting exploits were not restricted to the snow with Milton becoming just the fourth Australian to also compete at a Summer Paralympics after qualifying for the cycling for Beijing in 2008.

His cycling selection for Beijing came less than a year after he was diagnosed with – and overcame – oesophageal cancer.

Milton’s extraordinary journey has now been recognised with one of the highest sporting honours after being elevated to legend status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Milton has been elevated as a legend alongside squash champion Geoff Hunt.

“When you go through the list of athletes, it’s a pretty elite list,” Milton said of his elevation.

“It’s pretty amazing company to be in as the first Winter athlete and the second Paralympian.

“It means that during my career I have gone to places that maybe no other Australian has gone before and so that is very cool.”

Paralympic skier Michael Milton has been elevated to the legend status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Pic: Hamish Blair

Skiing remains a passion for Milton, who favours using crutches over a prosthetic leg, but his adventures have not been restricted to the snow.

He has trekked the Kokoda Track twice, scaled Mount Kilimanjaro, represented Australia at two World Paratriathlon Championships and has also completed an ultra-marathon on crutches.

These days, Milton engages in another passion away from the snow for his day job, owning a shop in Canberra selling licensed Harry Potter merchandise where he can release his “inner nerd”.

Milton plays a tweaked John Cleese character when he is working in the shop.

“I think I probably suppressed my inner nerd for a long time and it was time for it to come out,” Milton said.

“I play a character when I am working in the shop and I’m Nearly Legless Nick, which is a joke that Harry Potter fans will get.

Paralympian Michael Milton in his costume from Harry Potter. Picture: Supplied

“There is a character in Harry Potter and he is a ghost in the movies played by John Cleese and his name is Nearly Headless Nick. So I kind of copied his name and I am Nearly Legless Nick.

“I am really good at things that I am passionate about and that I can turn into fun. In terms of the work side of life, (I like) doing something that holds my interest and that there is some passion for and I can turn into fun.

“That’s what I do for my job.”

Milton takes Potter to the top of Mt Kosciuszko. Picture: Supplied

Last year, cancer was detected for a third time and Milton underwent surgery to remove a tumour from his bowel and is now in remission.

“As somebody who has sat in a room, three times in my life now (hearing), ‘You’ve got cancer, this is life-threatening etc’. It doesn’t get any easier,” Milton said.

“(At age) nine it might be hard, sure, but you don’t necessarily have an inkling of how tough it is going to be. But when you get it again at 35 and at 50, you understand it better which makes it scarier.

“But I look forward to living life to the max and following my passions and dreams.”

Paralympic skier Michael Milton in action on the slopes.

Reflecting on his sporting journey, Milton said his first Paralympic gold medal in 1992 was hard to top, but the feeling of skiing was the “ultimate highlight”.

“Being in the magic of snow, the feeling of speed and exhilaration. For me that is the passion for the sport that I love,” Milton said.

“That’s the highlight, I’m not going to choose a medal or anything else.

“I probably can’t pretend I treasure every day of skiing the same because there has been about 7500 days on the snow, but the feeling of seeing my kids go skiing and sharing that passion with them that’s equal to winning a gold medal.”

Originally published as Six-time Winter Paralympic gold medallist Michael Milton elevated to legend status in Sport Australia Hall of Fame