Michael Whittaker has gone from the catwalk to the running track.
From the glitz and glamour of the catwalk to studying literature, Michael Whittaker has always been ambitious, and later this year he’s set to turn the page on the latest chapter of his life, beginning his quest to qualify for the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.
Becoming an athlete was never on Whittaker’s radar. In his 20s, he was immersed in the world of high fashion, working as a runway model for luxury brands across the globe. But that storyline changed after he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa – a genetic disorder that causes progressive vision loss.
As he adjusted to his new reality, Whittaker took up running on the quiet roads of Waiheke Island during the 2020 lockdown.
Since then, he’s made remarkable strides, now holding the national T13 (visually impaired) half-marathon record. In September, he’ll represent New Zealand at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, competing in the 5000m, his first international event.
It caps off a remarkable five-year journey for Whittaker, who admits he was never really into sports, until his story went in an unexpected direction.
“I can’t imagine not doing this anymore,” said Whittaker.
“Even though I hadn’t really run much before, I was seeing big improvements early on that made me want to keep going.
“I never would have thought I’d be spending all this time running. The experience has been rewarding.”
Born north of Auckland, Whittaker describes himself as a bit of a geeky kid.
One day as a teenager, when he was walking down Queen St, he was stopped by a stranger who asked if he’d ever considered modelling.
He took the opportunity, and after finishing at Ōrewa College, he moved first to Sydney, then to New York, as his modelling career quickly took off.
His new vocation took him around the world, from Paris and Milan to London, working with an exhaustive list of brands like Raf Simons, Prada and Dior.
It was a full-on lifestyle, especially in the pre-smartphone era. Whittaker recalls being armed only with a list of addresses and a physical map to navigate from one casting or shoot to the next.
Thirteen years ago, while in Tokyo, everything began to change. He noticed his night vision deteriorating and after further investigation, he was diagnosed with the degenerative eye condition.
Determined not to let his story end there, he began receiving regular injections in the retina to slow the swelling. This left his eyes bloodshot but he managed to keep modelling for another five years, mostly based in New Zealand, flying overseas when needed.
Eventually, the condition forced him to stop.
Today, Whittaker is legally blind, with less than 10% of his vision remaining. He describes his vision as “like looking through a straw with cling film over it”.
The early chapters of adapting to this new reality were filled with uncertainty and struggle. But with time, Whittaker has found a quiet strength, becoming more comfortable with his condition and learning to write new pages in the narrative of his life.
“You can feel like a spectacle, especially if you are using a cane or guide dog,” said Whittaker.
“Because I can’t see or astatine what others actions are, you do encounter negative experiences, like people seeing me on my phone in public.
“You can get a negative vibe that everyone is staring at you and looking at you with pity.
“Losing that anonymity of moving around the world where nobody is paying attention, I still find that hard. But for the main part, having positive experiences and relationships with people can be affirming.”
It took until the Covid-19 lockdown for Whittaker to get into running.
With few people on the roads in their cars, he quickly fell in love with the sport, and running soon became a daily ritual – a chance to experience freedom and clarity amid uncertainty.
“I could run safely in the middle of the road and not worry about my vision making things dangerous,” said Whittaker.
“It gave me a chance to experience freedom and clarity.”
He was encouraged to enter the 2021 Auckland Half Marathon where, running with a guide, he completed it in just over an hour and a half.
The improvements have kept coming and last year, he set the national T13 half marathon record of 1h 13m 54s.
He’s got the running bug so much, Whittaker tends to train most days, running up to 100km a week, either with a guide or in one of several safe routes around Auckland, usually along a portion of Tāmaki Drive.
The intensity of his training sometimes take a toll, leading to injuries that have forced him to find a gentler way to stay active.
One of his guides, Logan Griffin, a former professional cyclist, encouraged Whittaker to hop on the bike and he quickly found his rhythm on two wheels.
Now, with national titles in tandem road race and time trials already under his belt, he’s chasing ambitious goals in the world of para-cycling.
“It was really invigorating,” said Whittaker. “There is this designated community and locus for people to start taking it seriously.
“I just took a chance, but it is working out well alongside the running.
“It’s really helped my speed, and I have a cycling race coming up so we will see how much of a dent into the New Zealand record.”
Whittaker lives in Parnell, where he spends plenty of time with his guide dog, Tāne, and continues some modelling work with New Zealand brands like I Love Ugly.
In March, he married his partner, Meike. Later this year, he hopes to graduate with a PhD in literature from Auckland University, where he has been studying the work of New Zealand Poet Laureate Michele Leggott – who also lives with the same progressive eye condition.
Technology plays a crucial role in Whittaker’s daily life, with apps that magnify text or adjust backgrounds to make reading and tasks much easier despite his limited vision.
That helps with his passion of literature and he loves, combining his runs with listening to audiobooks.
“It’s the perfect marriage of movement and intellectual stimulation,” said Whittaker.
“When I’m listening, I’m definitely down for any page-turner. In hindsight, it makes perfect sense why I enjoy it so much.”
With the World Para Athletics Championships just three months away, Whittaker has intensified his training, having set a 5000m personal best of 15m 23s in February.
He remains realistic about his chances in New Delhi, knowing it will bring a fresh set of challenges – but he’s ready to face them head-on.
“The race conditions will be very challenging with the heat,” said Whittaker. “They’re not ideal endurance running conditions.
“We’re aiming for top eight. I’m there potentially on times, but it would be nice to ratify that against the international competition.
“I can’t imagine running a PB [personal best] there, but you never know.
“For the rest of the year, going under 70 minutes for the half marathon and under 15 minutes in the 5km are my goals.”
It’s all part of the latest chapter in Whittaker’s life, one he hopes will culminate in success at the LA Paralympics, although he hasn’t yet decided exactly which path to follow.
Currently classified as a T13 athlete, Whittaker can only compete in the 5000m for long-distance running at the Paralympics. However, as he is on the cusp of moving into the T12 classification due to his vision, he could become eligible to race in the marathon.
There’s also the possibility of a sprint triathlon and the inclusion of tandem road race and time trial cycling events, so Whittaker wants to keep his options open.
“I’m still working out what my speciality is and if I need to specialise or do cycling and running.
“Or god forbid take up another discipline.”
Whitaker will be one of three Kiwi debutants taking part at the World Para Athletics Championships, with an eight-strong squad named last month.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.
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