Believe in U.S.: Bode Miller

“When you go into the Steilhang in Kitzbuhel and you land, if you don’t drop into the turn with 100-percent confidence, you crash every time. That’s why the ski racers we’ve all seen at the top are rock solid. They’re unflappable in terms of their belief and confidence.” – Olympic Champion Bode Miller. Believe in U.S. is the rallying cry of the U.S. Ski Team going into the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Athletes like Bode Miller ride on the wings of belief of family, friends and the American public.

Believe in U.S.: Bode Miller

Confident may be the first word that comes to mind when describing Bode Miller, but with five Olympic medals to his name, his confidence makes perfect sense. It’s an essential part of a sport that requires ultimate precision. At the core of that confidence is a deep and unwavering belief.

Miller’s belief began early on in his childhood while watching Bill Johnson win gold at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics. His legendary status seemed unattainable to a boy in the woods of New Hampshire, but Miller’s grandmother ignited a spark inside him.

“I was a very young boy when I had the conversation with my Grandmother. I watched the 1984 Olympics and I was asking her how those athletes became Olympians. She just explained it as simply as she could: they were all little babies once.”

Already a skier, Miller decided his life’s direction at that moment.

“To me, I was seven or eight years old, it was really clear. I was just as likely to do it as anybody else. At that point the logic just clicked. I’d way rather be a professional skier and be the best in the world and win the Olympics than I would work in an office building.”

So that’s what he did. His drive to become the best in the world propelled him into ski racing, and at the Carrabassett Valley Academy in Maine that drive was sculpted into raw power. After a strong showing at the ’96 U.S. Championships, the young Miller was recruited to the U.S. Ski Team and given the chance to chase his dream by competing at the ‘98 Nagano Olympic Games.

It takes the drive of athletes like Bode Miller to endure the years of training required to compete on the world stage. But it also takes the efforts of the U.S. Ski Team to provide the resources and facilities to prepare the athletes for the Olympic Games. If you Believe in U.S. and would like to be a part of Bode Miller and the Team’s quest for gold, please click here to make a pledge to the U.S. Ski Team through the Team’s Medals Madness.

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