Six-time Paralympic Games gold medallist Michael Milton has added a third world record to his glistening resume for a cause close to his heart.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The 44-year-old cancer survivor completed the world's fastest five kilometre run on crutches in 32:13.69 at the AIS track on Friday afternoon.
He was aiming to break the 30-minute barrier but had to settle for passing the previous mark of 32:55 as he raised awareness for the charity Kilted to Kick Cancer, raising awareness about prostate cancer.
Milton would have worn a kilt if it wasn't too heavy to run in, instead settling on a tartan netball skirt for a worthy cause.
"In the end it's about prostate cancer awareness," Milton said.
"As a two-time cancer survivor I know cancer is not much fun. I'm just encouraging men to get a blood test to check for any of the risk factors, especially if you're over 50 or you've got a family history of it and you're over 40, then get your prostate checked."
Milton was on pace to shatter the 30-minute barrier following the first couple of laps with a group of pace runners on the track and a pack of friends watching on.
He says he "started to fade a bit" as the run wore on but he was rapt to claim the world record following a "pleasing and painful" effort.
"Immediate feeling is 'thank god I can stop'," Milton said.
"In this sort of thing you are just continually pushing the pace and pushing yourself, and at the same time trying to be a little bit smart, trying not to push too hard too early.
"Certainly for the last couple of hundred metres you're just pushing and starting to wobble, you lose coordination and then you finally get a chance to stop, hold onto the fence and stand up."
Milton has added to his two other world records - he's the world's fastest skier with a disability, reaching 213.65km/h, and has done the fastest marathon on crutches of five hours, 23 minutes and 30 seconds.
Milton hasn't written off the prospect of having another crack at breaking the 30-minute barrier - and he laughs he might not be done setting world records.
"I've got lots of goals in life and I'll always be pushing my limits," Milton said.
"I don't pretend to be the elite athlete or the young athlete that I once was but at the same time I think I proved I can still punch out some good power.
"Certainly the goal has been set [to break 30 minutes]. I think it would be pretty tough but I think if I put a few things in place I could do it. For my first attempt this is good and I think it's highly likely there will be more.
"Running with crutches is what I do. Last year I did a 50km run in the Blue Mountains and I just like to explore the sport, explore my limits and what I can do."
