From FOMO to mojo, how the Adelaide Invitational reignited a favourite son

Michael Roeger’s blistering 5000m run at last year’s Adelaide Invitational meant so much more than a new T46 world record – it was the race that reignited his mojo, his passion, his confidence and self-belief.

“One of my lifetime dreams was to break 14 minutes. To do it on my home soil made it even more special. It was such a great night. The body, the mind and the legs were all good to me,’’ says Roeger whose time of 3:52.05 shattered his own previous world record of 14 minutes flat.

It was no secret that Roeger just months earlier had been mentally battle-scarred at the Tokyo Paralympics, having started outright favourite for the marathon with the world record to back him.

Secretly, Roeger had been carrying an injury, a stress factor in the fibula, sustained five weeks earlier.  Outwardly, Roeger kept that infectious smile shining, giving the appearance that everything was fine.

“You project that you’re on top of things, but in the end it just caught me out,” says the four-time Paralympian.

Finishing 8 minutes behind the winner and 16 minutes behind his best, Roeger crossed that finish line emotionally and physically bruised, his face painted in a mix of sweat, pain and anguish, even apologising to his supporters on camera moments later.

Was an apology really warranted? Afterall, he had finished in sixth place and had completed one of his toughest events ever.

“Looking back now, probably not. In that moment it was heart-wrenching. I felt that I had let so many people down – my coach Philo Saunders, my friends, my family …. everyone who supported me.

“I thought Tokyo was going to be my time where I could pay everyone back by winning a gold medal.

Life-defining challenges are nothing new to Roeger, a favourite son of Langhorne Creek.

“I had a couple of major GI (gastrointestinal) bleeds that nearly ended me. They weren’t good. They were scary. Fortunately, I’ve pulled through.

“Crippled over on the side of the road after a run, vomiting and excreting blood … having six bags of blood put back into your body … being in hospital for a week …. it was touch-and-go for a while.

“Never again will I touch anti-inflammatories because that has been the main cause. My stomach doesn’t deal with them.”

From marathons to 5000m, Roeger - a self-professed “competitive bastard”  will target the 1500m event at Saturday’s Adelaide Invitational.

“I’m going to run 1500m at the Para World Championships in July in Paris.

“In the past few months my body has been handling the lesser volume. I opened up with 3:50.7 at the ACT championships which was an A qualifier and I hope to go quickly in Adelaide.

“I still hold the world record for my class in the 1500m – 3:45 – imagine giving that a nudge and getting that world record in Adelaide. That would be pretty cool.

“I think I will sit on a pretty quick pace and live with no regrets,” says Roeger who carries a new and invigorated perspective.

“To come back after the devastation of Tokyo and to get right mentally was a big thing. The mental game has taken a lot of time. But I’m confident now. I’m fit. The body is healthy. And I’m ambitious again,” says Roeger who’s a popular figure among social and charitable scenes, a skateboarding devotee who still wants be able to do a kick flick when he’s I’m 60 years old and who even mixes it on the Fashion runways of Sydney.

From skate parks, to fashion runways and the athletics track, Roeger declares: “I get Fomo at times. I don’t like missing out.”

But missing that gold?

That’s in the past. He no longer needs that gold medal to define or complete him.

 “At the end of the day I’m going to be happy enough with my career.

“In the end I’m a competitive bastard who just doesn’t want to be the best para, but be on that start line and think I can beat anyone on it. Growing up in the country in Langhorne Creek I was treated no differently to the bloke in the next paddock. I love mixing it up with able bodied guys.”

By Andrew Holman for Athletics South Australia
Posted:7/2/2022