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7.26.2008

PORTLAND, ME

Be EPIC.

www.urban-epic.com

Mary Miller. The girl from Maine.

MARY GETS THIRD OVERALL AT TRI-PALOOZA!

On Sunday, April 20th, Mary competed in the invite-only 2012 Olympic Development Race and crossed the line in third place. The event, held in conjunction with the US Olympic Trials in Tuscaloosa, AL, featured up-and-coming athletes from across the United States, who have shown serious potential to make the 2012 Olympic Team. Mary will be racing on April 27th at St. Anthony's with 90 other Elite Women.

Race Report Coming Soon!

Mary Miller is someone you want to get to know.

In the coming years, she will be representing Maine on the world stage, competing around the globe in her quest to be one of the top triathletes in the sport. Her story is inspiring and her results are amazing. Join Mary on her journey up the ranks of international triathlon.

Tri-Maine will provide updates on Mary's training, racing, and her life as an up-and-coming professional triathlete. We'll have stories of the challenges of finding sponsors, the taxing training schedule, and the glories of success. Mary will give us an inside view into the world at the top of the sport we love. In return, we will give her the support that she needs to be our ambassador to the elite tri world. So read her story below and prepare to be inspired!

My name is Mary Miller.  I am a local athlete from Eliot, Maine.  I graduated in 1998 from the S.A.D. 35 school system as 3-sport athlete and was also part of the original group that started Seacoast United Soccer Team in this area.  While attending the University of Maine- Orono, I was first string on the Women’s Soccer Team.  I captained there my junior and senior year, and was the woman recipient of the NCAA Leadership Award in 2002.  Upon graduation, I worked for a worldwide advertising agency in Boston managing the Volkswagen Account.  I grew quickly within the agency but after 3 years the longing in my heart to pursue excellence in athletics lead me to discover my passion. However, I had never raced, or even trained for, a triathlon.

I was introduced to triathlon during the summer of 2005 when I stepped into a race for my cousin, who was the victim of a car accident. My goal during that first tri was to do it for her (and just to FINISH!), but the experience I had there made me realized that this is what I was meant to do; I knew that someday I could be one of the best in the sport.  The feeling was strong enough to make a big life change - to devote myself to the pursuit of excellence in triathlon.  So in Winter 2006, I left my friends, family, job, and all that I knew on the East Coast and moved to Boulder, CO to train full time under 2-time World Champion Triathlete, Siri Lindley.   I train with ten other elite athletes from all over the world.  Each one is internationally ranked. I am the only amateur athlete.  Together we train over six hours a day, seven days a week--a rigorous schedule to say the least.

Since my introduction to triathlon, I have excelled into a very competitive amateur triathlete.  This 2007 season, my first true year as a competitive athlete, I finished the majority of my races within the top 10 women overall.  These races have anywhere between 400 and 5,000 participants.  At US National Championships, I finished 10th woman overall.  This was huge improvement from my 2006 finish where I came in 48th woman overall.  At World Championships (in Hamburg, Germany) I finished 16th woman in my age group and 52nd woman overall.  Though I raced on an injured heel this year, I had a significant improvement from last year, where I finished 28th in my age group and 100th woman overall!  My first amateur win came late in the season at a local race- the Pumpkinman Triathlon in South Berwick, Maine. 

Though I have qualified to race as a professional triathlete in 2008, I will continue to compete as an amateur and get another year of experience to acquire the necessary skills and obtain the confidence I need to compete in the professional arena.  My goal is not to simply be mediocre in this sport but to be the best.  My dream is to be on the 2012 Olympic Triathlon Team.  This dream is achievable; I am only 7 minutes off the qualifying times.  But remember- I am just one year into this sport; one year into a 6-year plan…what a journey I have ahead of me!

There are many ways to measure success as a professional athlete. Obviously, my top priority is to place high at races in a long-term quest to be the best. But along the way, I have the opportunity to do some incredible things with my life: I can inspire young people to be active, I can motivate other athletes to pursue their best, and I can bring pride to local communities. By making my story known and letting people understand who Mary Miller is, besides what my results are, I can bring joy and excitement to people who want to see me do well and those who support me. I can represent Maine on the world stage and display the kind of values (respect, hard work, sportsmanship) that people in this state hold dear. In this era of performance-enhancing drugs, I can prove that a gal from Northern New England can reach incredible heights and do it by staying focused on my goals, the old-fashioned way. The coming years promise to be an adventure - I invite you to be a part of it!

Keeping checking back as we update you on Mary's progress!!!

Mary can be contacted by e-mail.