Michael Brannigan

Michael Brannigan (born November 12, 1996), commonly known as Mikey Brannigan, is an American track and field athlete.

Career
He 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 competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in the men's 1500-meters race, winning a gold medal.

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 from a young age. He attended Northport High School, accomplishing an extremely successful distance running career at the High school level. Despite his disability, he still saw academic success, taking and passing Algebra I against the recommendations of his school. Mikey is currently coached by Sonja Robinson. Sonja began coaching Mikey in 2016