Pedalling with purpose: Michael Taylor’s journey on three wheels

By Chase Christensen 

Credit: Michael Taylor 

A 12-time Australian National Champion, two-time Oceania Champion, three-time Auckland marathon winner, Michael Taylor is truly one of a kind. Michael is a champion para hand-cyclist, originally from Bendigo Victoria.  

The sport of hand-cycling originated in 1980 as rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries and amputations. It quickly became a competitive sport and was introduced into the Paralympics in 2004 and has been a part of the games ever since.  

Michael Taylor is one of the best to ever be a part of the sport, as his accolades mentioned previously speak for themselves. The year 2015 presented some of his greatest achievements, winning the hand cycling division of the New York Marathon and the Australia Day Sports Person of the Year.  

Before fame, Michael was an electrical contractor, describing himself as a “typical tradie trying to find more work to support his family”. It goes to show what you can make out of life despite facing adversity.  

When asked about his proudest accomplishment as a hand-cyclist so far, he stated that it was when he organised and looked after a national running series that stretched across different states in Australia. According to Michael, he and his team “begged, borrowed and lent whatever we (they) could to get athletes to different states and to try and grow the sport of handcycling”. Their attempt to grow handcycling nationally was successful, therefore AusCycling (previously known as Cycling Australia) came to the table and agreed to oversee the coordination of future paracycling events in Australia.  

The sport of paracycling is obviously a tiering sport, as most forms of sports are, therefore it is important for Taylor to stay fit and have a consistent training procedure. It is astounding to hear the rigorous training he puts his body through on a weekly basis, consisting of approximately 300km of riding, use of a SkiErg machine and visiting the gym for a couple of sessions. Obviously the 300km of road riding is the most fascinating part of this package. No wonder Michael Taylor bathes in racing glory when he trains like a machine every week.  

In regard to what the future holds for Michael Taylor, he admitted he’s on the “downhill slope,” but he still wishes to compete locally as well as cross over the ditch to race in the Auckland Marathon. As of recently, he is attempting to transition para-cyclists into hand-cycling, as well as being a resource for people who need help of have questions surrounding the sport.  

The low amount of attention towards para-athletes has been an issue in Australia and the world for decades. Michael’s thoughts on whether or not para-athletes are receiving enough visibility in Australia is “simply no, as a small nation with a smaller group of disabled athletes we certainly punch above our weight in every manner of speaking”. He believes the current funding towards para-sports is not enough to go overseas. 

Michael Taylor’s inspiring career highlights his dedication to hand-cycling, his role in growing the sport nationally and his ongoing commitment to supporting para-athletes despite challenges in funding and visibility.