Senate Resolution No. 3081

BY: Senator FLANAGAN

CONGRATULATING Michael Brannigan upon the occasion
of capturing two Gold Medals at the 2017 World Para
Athletics Championships in London, England

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to extend its full
recognition and grateful tribute to the athletes of New York State who
have dedicated their purposeful lives to athletic achievement and
proudly represented their great State and Nation in Paralympic
competition; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
congratulate Michael Brannigan upon the occasion of capturing two Gold
Medals at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London,
England; and

WHEREAS, Michael Brannigan, affectionately known as Mikey, was born
to be a runner; he went from crawling to running at the tender age of
one; within the next year, he was officially diagnosed with autism; and

WHEREAS, At age seven, Mikey Brannigan joined the Rolling Thunder
Special Needs Program, a running, walking, and wheelchair racing team
serving challenged individuals; at his first practice, he sped around
the track, passing several seasoned athletes; and

WHEREAS, Running completely changed Mikey Brannigan's life for the
better; when he was just 12-years-old, he traveled with the Rolling
Thunder team to Washington, D.C. for the Marine Corps 10k race, where he
finished 22nd out of thousands of runners; and

WHEREAS, While a student at Northport High School in Northport, New
York, Mikey Brannigan was an exceptional student-athlete; he not only
excelled at running cross country, but also earned an extraordinary 3.3
GPA and successfully passed all of his New York State Regents exams; and

WHEREAS, On November 16, 2013, Mikey Brannigan took second place at
the New York State Cross Country Meet; two weeks later, he won the Nike
Cross Nationals (NXN) New York regional 5,000 meter race at Bowdoin Park
in Wappinger Falls, New York, with a remarkable time of 15:29; and

WHEREAS, Mikey Brannigan's talent reached the national level during
his senior year, when he competed in invite-only fields against the
country's best high school runners at the Prefontaine Classic, the
Adidas Dream Mile and the Brooks PR; and

WHEREAS, Today, under the expert guidance of coach Sonja Robinson,
Mikey Brannigan competes professionally for the New York Athletic Club,
while taking classes at Suffolk Community College; and

WHEREAS, In October of 2015, Mikey Brannigan represented America in
the T20 1,500 meter run at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in
Doha, Qatar; he won the thrilling race by a fraction of a second over

the defending world champion; later at the meet, he won a Silver Medal
in the T20 5,000 meter run with a time of 15:50.99; and

WHEREAS, On August 5, 2016, Mikey Brannigan competed in an elite
field at the Sir Walter Miler meet in Raleigh, North Carolina; he
finished seventh with an amazing time of 3:57.58, becoming the first
person with a T20 Paralympic classification to break the 4:00 barrier;
he also owns the T20 Paralympic world record in the event after
finishing in 3:48.85 last summer at the United States Paralympic
National Championships; and

WHEREAS, Mikey Brannigan's stellar season culminated with a Gold
Medal in the 1,500 meter race at the 2016 Rio Summer Paralympics in Rio
de Janeiro; he led the race from beginning to end, winning by four
seconds in 3:51.73; and

WHEREAS, At the recent World Para Athletics Championships, Mikey
Brannigan continued to impress the running world; he easily captured
Gold Medals in the 1,500 meter and 800 meter races events, and a Silver
Medal in the men's 5,000 meter; and

WHEREAS, After his historic World Para Athletics Championships
triple win, Mikey Brannigan hopes to qualify for the United States
Senior team for the 2020 Olympics; and

WHEREAS, A role model for all, Mikey Brannigan is a talented,
dedicated athlete who has brought honor to his community and his family,
coaches, and friends who have encouraged his progress and commended his
hard work; and

WHEREAS, A gifted athlete, Mikey Brannigan's character and his many
achievements stand as example and inspiration to all who would aspire to
extraordinary success; and

WHEREAS, Many will only dream of competing on the world stage;
through his hard work and tenacious spirit, Mikey Brannigan has not only
made his dream a reality, he has also given just cause for his family,
community and State to be proud of his achievements; now, therefore, be
it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate Michael Brannigan upon the occasion of capturing two Gold
Medals at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London,
England; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Michael Brannigan.