Michael Norton

Michael Norton

Australian medalist Michael Norton at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Games
Personal information
Full name	Michael Joseph Norton
Nationality	Australia
Born	22 April 1964
Died	22 August 1996 Melbourne
Medal record Men's alpine skiing Paralympic Games 1992 Tignes-Albertville Slalom LW11 1994 Lillehammer Slalom LWXI 1994 Lillehammer Super-G LWXI

Michael Joseph Norton, OAM (1964–1996), was an Australian Paralympic alpine skier. As a paraplegic sit skier, he won two gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Paralympics.

Norton grew up on a dairty farm in Leongatha. He attended Leongatha High School and left in year four. In February 1984, on the way home from work on his motorbike, he hit a rock and came off the bike near Foster in South Gippsland and became paralysed. At the time of the accident, he was an electrician. Prior to the accident, he was involved in rock climbing and white-water kayaking. After the accident, he completed his high school certificate and started an engineering degree. He ceased the degree, due to having an operation.

He established a ski school at Mount Buller for disabled people. His first student was champion Australian wheelchair tennis player Daniela Di Toro. Norton pushed his wheelchair from Melbourne to Mount Buller to raise funds to purchase specialised equipment. He frequiently appeared on television to raise the profile of disability sport and to raise funds.

He was found dead on 22 August 1996 in his home in Middle Park, a suburb of Melbourne.Graeme Johnstone, the Victorian Coroner, found that he had died of a heroin overdose. The coroner also stated there was no evidence that Norton was a long-term user of heroin or other illicit drugs. Family and friends were dissatisfied by the police investigation, which took place eight weeks after his death. The coroner's findings were based on this investigation. Norton was buried in Leongatha.

After the accident, he turned to wheelchair racing and in February 1986 won the Australian championships in Adelaide. However, he found himself alienated in track athletics because he was pushing a wheelchair as opposed to running. In 1987, he was taught to ski by George MacPherson, one of the founders of sit skiing in Australia. He enjoyed skiing as it took him to places he couldn't get to in a wheelchair. In 1988, ski coach Dean Sheppard invited him to Canada for ski racing. This was followed by his appearance at the 1990 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Winter Park, Colorado.