History-making Michael Johnson MZNM Paralympian #148 is all set for a record-equalling sixth Paralympic Games experience for New Zealand at Paris. We chat to the Shooting Para sport exponent and three-time Paralympic medalist about his memories across five previous editions of the quadrennial event.
When Michael Johnson advises the NZ Paralympic Team debutants in Paris 2024 “enjoy the experience” the Shooting Para sport stalwart is coming from a place of huge credibility.
All set for a record-equalling sixth Paralympic appearance, the 50-year-old Kiwi is all set to match the achievement of Graham Condon QSM Paralympian #4 – when he takes to the shooting range at Chateauroux at Paris 2024.
It is a hugely impressive feat from the man from Waiuku – just South of Auckland – who has a rich kaleidoscope of memories from his five previous Paralympic Games.
Injured in a motor accident in his late 20s, Michael first tasted Shooting Para sport at the Ardmore National Shooting Complex in 2001. Initially motivated to beat the “able-bodied guys” within a year of taking up the sport he was competing internationally and earned selection for his Paralympic Games debut at Athens 2004.
Adapting to competing at a major multi-sport event was challenging and Michael recalls – perhaps understandably – being gripped by nerves competing at his maiden Paralympic Games.
Despite that, Michael overcame any anxiety he may have been feeling by topping the qualifiers in the R4 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2 with a world record score of 600 out of 600 before taking a stunning gold in the final.
“My rifle was moving around so much because of the nerves I was feeling, I was surprised I could hit the target at all,” remarks Michael, who works today as Shooting Para Sport Lead for Paralympics New Zealand. “To win the final in front of my family was cool. I shed a few tears afterwards because a lot of hard work went into the win.
“I remember the podium image of me very happy while the silver and bronze medalists with their Swedish flags looked really grumpy,” he adds.
In the countdown to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games because of the closure of the Ardmore Shooting Complex, Michael, a world champion in 2006 and 2010, reverted to setting up a shooting range at home – “from the kitchen, down the hallway with the target near the bedroom.”
While far from an ideal scenario, Michael showed impressive resilience to take a bronze medal in the R4 Mixed 10m Air Rifle SH2 Standing event in Beijing.
“I never saw myself as defending champion, I just always view every competition as a fresh start and that I want to win. But I was still happy to come away with a medal. The depth in Shooting Para sport is always very high, so to win any colour medal is amazing.”
Four years later at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Michael, who was the NZ Paralympic Team flag bearer, repeated the feat by clinching another bronze medal in the R4 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2 as well as taking fourth in the R5 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2 discipline.
Michael laughs at the memory of sharing a room in the Athletes’ Village with Para rower Danny McBride because an electrical cupboard under the stairs always made the room temperature 30C. “It was much colder outside than in the room” he reminisces.
“To be flag bearer of the NZ Paralympic Team was a cool experience, I can’t recall too much of the competition but to win another medal, I felt was a successful Games.”
Michael finished outside of the medals at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, placing fifth at the R4 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2 event. Encountering an unfortunate experience when he accidentally bumped the trigger and shot a low score in the R5 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2 event he then tried to make up for the lower score only for his competition to quickly unravel.
“The harder I tried, the worse it got. Then in the R4 event I didn’t shoot as well as I had hoped.”
The Covid pandemic unquestionably impacted his performance at his fifth Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020 (which because of a postponement did not take place until 2021). Having not competed internationally for almost two years in the countdown to Tokyo was far from ideal preparation, but despite that he still managed to place sixth in the R4 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2
“I was probably hoping for a better result, but I was still very proud to represent my country,” he recalls.
Excited to be on the cusp of making his sixth Paralympic Games appearance and looking forward to one week of training at the competition venue prior to the first of three events he will be contesting at Paris 2024 (he is entered in the R4 Mixed Air Rifle Standing SH2, R5 Mixed Air Rifle Prone SH2 and R9 Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH2) – he is optimistic of a good showing.
“Winning a silver medal in New Delhi in March at the World Cup event was a big boost, but I always take each competition one at a time and I will treat my sixth Paralympic Games exactly the same way.”
A much more resilient athlete today than in his younger days, he backs his abilities to perform to the optimum and he has a message for those Kiwi athletes tasting their first Paralympic Games.
“I would say don’t get too stressed by the outcome and providing you have put in the training the results will come,” explains Michael. “Try your best and remember to enjoy the experience.”
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