Who needs two legs?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (374040)
Rockingham, Australia
March 12, 2026 5:23am CST
Michael Milton was born in Canberra, Australia, in 1973. At the age of nine, he contracted bone cancer which led to his left leg being amputated above the knee. In 2006, he had oesophageal cancer and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In 2023, he had surgery to remove a tumour from his bowel. Shortly before the Milano Cortino Paralympics, he suffered a small fracture to the neck of the femur while on a training run.
He has competed in cycling in the Paralympics. Across six winter and summer Paralympic Games, between 1988 and 2006, he claimed 11 Paralympic medals, including six golds.
His other milestones include walking the Kokoda Track twice, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and breaking the world record for running a marathon on crutches. He also holds the open Australian downhill speed skiing record for both able-bodied skiers and those with disabilities. His personal best speed is 213 km/h (132 mph). He is also highly sought after as a motivational speaker.
I love his statement that ‘the really important things in life are family, friends and having fun. None of those things have anything to do with how many legs you have.’
What a wonderful attitude to have.
10 people like this
7 responses
@BarBaraPrz (51499)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
2h
I once saw a one-legged man wielding a chainsaw to trim a tree, and I wondered how he lost his leg...
1 person likes this









