Michael Auprince OAM
Michael Auprince OAM has achieved a great deal in his 29 years. Not too many Australians can say they have represented their country in two different sports at Olympic level. Michael has represented Australia in swimming at the Summer Paralympics in London in 2012 and in wheelchair basketball at the Tokyo Summer Paralympics in 2020 (2021).
When he was only ten years of age Michael elected to have his leg amputated so he could plan his life options differently. One of his legs had been unable to function since birth. Prior to the surgery he used a prosthetic leg for support. He was inspired by the World War 2 flying ace, Douglas Bader in the novel and film Reach for the Sky. Douglas Bader lost both legs in aerial combat in World War 2 and inspired many people as a result of his courage and determination. His story was shared widely with readers after 1945. Michael took up swimming just a few months after the amputation while he was in primary school. Before too long Michael was breaking age and national swimming records.
Michael grew up in Peakhurst and attended Peakhurst West Public School and two campuses of Georges River College throughout his 14 years of public schooling. He has very fond memories of his time at all three schools and highly values the educational foundation he received in the three schools. In year 7 at Peakhurst campus he encountered a young Ms Larcombe as his PE teacher. He regarded Ms Larcombe as a “very fair but firm teacher” .
Michael mentioned that he has tried to emulate Ms Larcombe’s positive approach to teaching and learning in his later life as both an English teacher and as a sporting coach at university level for wheelchair basketball. Michael also enjoyed being a musician in the stage band years 10-12 and in the concert band years 7-10, playing both the tenor and baritone saxophone. He is certainly a multi talented young man.
Michael took full advantage of the HSC Pathways system, dividing year 12 into two halves in 2010-2011, giving him more time to maintain his strong commitment to swimming at an international level. His dedication was rewarded when he was selected in the Australian Paralympic Swimming team for the 2012 London Olympics when only 19 years of age. After the HSC in 2011, as well as managing his intensive swimming training Michael also studying at university to become an English teacher.
At the London Paralympics Michael won a gold medal for the 4 x 100 freestyle relay and a bronze medal for the 4 x 100 medley relay. He also competed in a wide range of individual events in freestyle, butterfly and backstroke. After the London Paralympics Michael embraced wheelchair basketball. He represented Australia at the 2013 IWBF Under 23 World Championships where the team won a bronze medal. In 2015 he relocated to the University of Alabama in the USA for four years, where the university team won two National College Championships. He also played in the Wollongong Rollerhawks wheelchair basketball team.
In 2014 Michael was awarded an Order of Australia for his services to sport. He was only 21 years of age at the time of the prestigious award, but he had been training in swimming and then wheelchair basketball since 2003 when he was just ten years old.
It was the Wollongong Rollerhawks which won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championship in Hamburg, Germany. During this time Michael was the recipient of a NSW Institute of Sport scholarship. While in Germany Michael has played wheelchair basketball for the German club RSV Lahn-Dill. He played with Canadians, Iranians, Americans and Poles as well as Germans in a truly international enterprise. Luckily he was able to return to Australia early in March 2020 just two days before the hotel quarantine system was implemented for returning travellers as a result of the Covid19 epidemic.
The Australian wheelchair basketball team finished fifth at the Tokyo 2020 (2021) Paralympics. Michael was disappointed in the result at his second Paralympics as a dual international Olympian but he was realistic about how difficult it had been to train and prepare for such a high level of competition during the once in a 100 years pandemic throughout 2020-2021.
Later this year Michael will take up a new coaching position at Alabama University. He will be the new assistant coach of the wheelchair basketball team. He hopes his coaching skills will give every opportunity to young athletes to enable them to be the best they can be. Michael is looking forward to planning on court strategies to suit the strengths of each team formation. His wife Mary is from Texas and she will be with him during his new challenges. They hope to be in Alabama in August 2022. When he rings American restaurants in Texas or Alabama, Michael gives his name as Chris because the Australian accent is just too difficult for the southern states hospitality staff on the phone if he says “Michael”.
Michael spoke wisely of the importance of a sport/life balance when training and competition take up so much time. He explained that he has always loved debating and music and made sure he found time to include those in his school/university/family life. Michael values all the opportunities he was given by teachers and coaches at all levels since he was ten years of age. He wants to provide those same opportunities for students and veterans with disabilities at Alabama University in the new College year. He sounds like the ideal impressive young man to do just that.
Story by Judy King
