Luke
Michael
Athlete Bio#
Height
5'11"
Age
40
Hometown
Kailua
Event/Discipline: Sprint Kayak, K-4 1000m
Height: 5'11"
Club: Hawaii Canoe/Kayak Club
Career Highlights:
- Qualified for the Australian National Kayak Team in 2005, my first year paddling kayaks
- Qualified for the 2008 Australian Olympic Team in K-4 1000m
- 1st K-2 1000m - 2006 World Cup 3 (Guangzhou)
- K-2 & K-4 Australian National Champion
- Raced in 4 World Championships for Australia
Recent Results:
- 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico: 7th in K2 1000m, 7th in K4 1000m
- 2011 World Championships in Szeged, Hungary: 8th in K4 1000M semfinals
- 2011 World Cup No. 3 in Duisburg, Germany: 5th in K-4 1000 B Final, 6th in K-2 200m C Final
- 2011 World Cup No. 2 in Racice, Czech Republic: 6th in K-4 1000m B Final, 13th in K-1 5000m
- 2011 US Sprint Team Trials: 1st in K-1 1000m, 3rd in K-1 200m, 1st in K-2 1000m, 2nd in K-2 200m
- 7X 2011 National Champion - K-1 500, 1000m, 5000m; K-2 200m, 500m, 1000m (with brother Jake Michael); K-4 1000m
Personal:
- Honors: Degree in Exercise and Sport Science, Diploma in Sports Marketing
- Hobbies: surfing, hanging out with my mates, reading, surf ski
- Quote: "Aim for the stars... you might not get one, but you are not going to end up with a handful of mud either."
- How'd you get started? Started in 2005, in Australian while playing in a professional rugby league, as an avenue to help with my technique for surf life saving Iron Man competition and to keep fit for football. I raced in the 2005 Australian National Championships and got 4th in the K-1 1000m after one year of paddling, making my first Australian National Kayak Team. So I gave up football and raced kayaks.
- Hero: Jim Walker, he's been my coach for the last 10 years nd has been my mentor my whole life.
- Family: Twin brother, Jake, is also a member of the U.S. National Team.
- Trivia: Jake and I started paddling for Team USA in 2010. We hold dual citizenship with USA and Australia. Our Mother is from St. Paul, Minneapolis. We moved to paddle with USA in 2010 after political problems in Australia left me out of the Beijing Olympic Team.
World Championships Experience
- Most recent: 2011 – 18th (K1 4 x 200m Relay - Men), 21th (K4 1000m - Men), 27th (K1 5000m - Men)
- Years of participation: K1 4 x 200m Relay - Men 2011; K1 5000m - Men 2011; K4 1000m - Men 2006, 2007, 2011; K4 500m - Men 2005, 2006
- Top finish: 11th – 2007 (K4 1000m - Men)
Career Highlights
- Pan American Games, Guadalajara, 2011 (K2 1000m - Men, K4 1000m - Men)
