Dr. Michael McKillop MBE was appointed as Epilepsy Ireland’s first ambassador in September 2025, officially announced at our National Conference that year.
Michael is one of Ireland’s most decorated athletes – winning gold medals in middle distance competitions at the Bejing, London, Rio and Tokyo Paralympic games – before retiring from competition at the age of 31. He was also a nine-time world champion and amassed several world records over his career.
Michael was born with cerebral palsy and was later diagnosed with epilepsy and over many years, he became increasingly involved in the work of Epilepsy Ireland.
This has included running the running the Dublin City Marathon in support of our work; representing Epilepsy Ireland on the RTÉ series Ultimate Hell Week, and more recently, Michael has been involved in the incredible series which is led by our colleagues in FutureNeuro and supported by Epilepsy Ireland, My Moving Brain – which is highlighting why conditions like epilepsy do not have to a barrier to a person’s participation in sport.
Throughout all of this, at points in his journey with the condition, Michael has taken to social media to share his experiences with epilepsy – including when experiencing breakthrough seizures; and the importance of knowing the vital information of TIME, SAFE, STAY.
With such an incredible career, and continuing involvement in the world of athletics – as well as having a reach to many other audiences through his work as a motivational speaker - Michael is a phenomenal asset to Epilepsy Ireland to have as an ambassador.
We were delighted to name him as our first Ambassador, and we look forward to continuing our work together to achieve a society where no person’s life is limited by epilepsy.