Northport Alumni & Paralympic Gold Medalist Mikey Brannigan Visits Middle Schoolers
The Students at Northport Middle School have something far more exciting than the weekend to look forward to today. Northport Alumni and Paralympic Gold Medalist, Mikey Brannigan will greet students and faculty at lunchtime, today. The World record holder will share his success story with eighth-graders in a special Q&A session in the Middle School auditorium. The students have made signs to line the hallway with a warm Northport welcome for their inspiring role model.
Brannigan was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum when he was just 18 months old. He began running with the non-profit, Rolling Thunder Special Needs Program.The organization gives developmentally disabled athletes, ages 5 to 50, the chance to train and compete at all levels of competition. Mikey ran for Northport Varsity High School Track & Field and Cross Country starting in the eighth grade.
In 2010,Brannigan competed in the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympics in Sacramento, California, where won 7th place overall in the 1500m and was named an All-American. The following year he placed first in his age group in both the 800 meter (2:05) and the 1500 meter (4:20) during the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympic mainstream qualifier in Albany. By 2015, Mikey Brannigan had attracted national attention as Sports Illustrated’s February High School Athlete of the Month. This Summer, the track star became the first athlete with a T20 Paralympic classification to break the four minute barrier. Brannigan holds the T20 Paralympic world record (3:48.85) in the 1500 meter event which he bested during the U.S. Paralympic national championships, last Summer.