Stephen Miller is a British athlete who competes in the fields of Paralympic club and discus throwing.
He has won gold in the club throw at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney and the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. He set a world record of 33.53m in that event at the Athens Games. At the 2000 games he also took a bronze medal in the discus throw. Stephen won silver at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing and was selected as captain of the men’s athletics squad for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.
Lets get to it…
Richard: Was there a specific sporting event when you were young that kick-started your dream to become an athlete?
Stephen: I watched the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, I was 12 years old. When I watched Linford Christie win the 100 meters it gave be such a buzz. I thought then how amazing it would be to represent my country in a sport, I just didn’t know which sport at the time.
Richard: At what age did you realize your dream of becoming a pro was a real possibility?
Stephen: I came into sport at a time when disabled athletes were purely amateur and the prospect of being a professional athlete was not a reality. So to be honest becoming a pro was never really a dream of mine, the dream was to compete for my country at a Paralympics. I probably only realized this was a possibility when I was called up to the GB team at the age of 15 in 1995, a year later I won gold in Atlanta and became Britain’s youngest ever track & field gold medalist. It all happened very fast.
Richard: What did it feel like when this realization kicked in?
Stephen: I guess I always felt I could be very good at something, I just had to find out what it was. When I started doing athletics and the Club Throw, it felt very natural to me and I enjoyed it. I knew straight away it was what I wanted to do.
Richard: Tell me about your first professional event, where was it, were you nervous, excited, scared?
Stephen: My first Paralympic Games was very scary, I was 16 and never been in that kind of environment before. I didn’t compete until the second last day and then a hurricane delayed the event by 3 hours. It all added to my nerves, but my coach was brilliant and kept me calm throughout. Once I got out there I loved it and to win was unbelievable.
Richard: How much of your time is spent training?
Stephen: I train 6 days a week. My sessions are pretty short and intense, partly due to my age and partly because of the type of event I do. I’m 35 now, so have to look after my body, my sessions never go over an hour and I spend lots of time stretching and doing pilates. My event is all about power and speed so my training is geared to maximizing that.
Richard: What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of your training program?
Stephen: My favorite type of training is throwing, when I’m throwing well there’s no better feeling. Least favorite would be circuit training during the winter, it’s horrible but it has to be done.
Richard: How do you stay motivated if you’re having a bad day or week?
Stephen: I’m always think about goals, me and my coach plan everything and set short term and long term goals. The end goal is always in the back of my mind, and setting short term goals keeps my hunger for satisfaction satisfied.
Richard: From your personal opinion, what has been the biggest achievement in your professional career?
Going unbeaten for 9 years and winning 3 Paralympic titles in that time.
Richard: What specific thing gives you the hunger to keep pushing yourself as an athlete?
Stephen: My desire to improve and my belief that I can still get better. As long as I have that I have the will and the energy to put myself through what it takes to be a Paralympic athlete.
Richard: What do you want to be remembered for?
Stephen: My amazing good looks!
There you have it. I’d like to thank Stephen for his time and if you want to follow him and send a message you can find him onTwitter