[1] On September 15, 1999 in Bloomington, Indiana, Michael was born to swimming Olympian Jennifer Hooker and Jamie Brinegar, a former All New England track and field athlete at Yale .

[6][2][7] In March, 2012, Michael won the 200 and 500 freestyle in age group competition for 11-12 year olds at the Indiana State Championships.

[8][6][1][9] More significantly, he participated at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships, winning a bronze medal anchoring the mixed 5km team relay.

[13] In 2023, he decided to train for the 2024 Paris Olympics with Hall of Fame Coach Mark Schubert as he had at age 15, and after his Freshman year at Indiana.

[1] In 2024, Michael Brinegar has been handed a four-year ban for blood doping by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

I am deeply disappointed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) ruling and USADA’s accusations that are utterly unfounded.