Michael Mayne

Less than two years into his Para-athletics career, Michael Mayne has found his calling after playing a variety of sports growing up.

The long jumper credits his mum as the reason he started athletics and his number one fan, recalling her encouragement to compete in a sport against other people with disabilities after a challenging performance in a local level AFL game.

Mayne has cerebral palsy on his right side and qualified for the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships where he will make his international debut in New Delhi after leaping to a personal best of 6.15m at the Australian Athletics Championships earlier this year.

“If I could give any piece of advice to my younger self it would be, take every opportunity you can even if it makes you feel uncomfortable,” Mayne said.

“Growing up I never thought I would pursue a future in para sport but it was only once I started getting out of my comfort zone and taking on opportunities I wouldn’t of previously in the past, I started to find everything started to click and I am now in the position where I get to compete for Australia later on this year.”

Mayne’s idol is basketball superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and he also enjoys playing chess and video games, also bringing a calculated approach to his competition under the guidance of coach Alwyn Jones.

“I have a really competitive nature and I always want to win. I have had to understand that not every single competition can be a good competition, and that you need bad ones to have good ones,” Mayne said.

Completing a Bachelor of Sports Coaching and Development at the Carlton College of Sport, Mayne also works as a coach and says he would be teaching if he was not doing athletics, focussing his energy for now on fulfilling his dream of becoming a Paralympic athlete for Australia.