Mike Noe was a soccer player and wrestler before he lost his legs in motorcycle accident at the age of 16. He very quickly took up sport as a way to manage his disability and played basketball in addition to undertaking wheelchair racing. He eventually entered the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and trained with their wheelchair track team. In 1992, he finished second in the American trials for the 1500 metres wheelchair race at that year’s Barcelona Olympics, which was a demonstration sport. At the Games, he placed third, behind France’s Claude Issorat and Franz Nietlispach of Switzerland.