Terry Miller doesn't allow age to deter him

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http://www.cjonline.com/stories/072008/ ... 6991.shtml

Mayetta vaulter doesn't allow age to deter him
By Chris Marshall
The Capital-Journal
Published Sunday, July 20, 2008
In a sport geared toward young athletes with fresh legs, 56-year-old Terry Miller continues to jump upwards of 10 feet on the pole vault.

The Mayetta resident who trains on a pit in his own backyard tied his recent record of 10 feet, 6 inches in the Sunflower State Games, a mark that puts him at sixth nationally for pole vaulters in his age group.



Adam Sacasa / The Capital-Journal
Terry Miller, of Mayetta, hasn't let a little thing like age get to him in competing in the Sunflower State Games track and field. The 56-year-old tied his recent record of 10 feet, 6 inches in the pole vault event on Friday. That height places him sixth nationally in his age group.
Competing in a field mostly comprised of teenage jumpers, Miller cleared his first four jumps Friday before finally hitting a wall at the 11-foot mark.

"I was hoping for 11 today," said Miller. "I couldn't quite squeeze over, but that's knocking on our ceiling. It's like a four-minute mile for me, because my best jumps now are usually in the 10-foot range."

Although Miller isn't satisfied with jumps that are just inches short of his 11-foot goal, his family offers continuous support and recognizes how much effort goes into his training.

"He's out there practicing three or four times a week," said Leigh Miller, who joined six other family members to watch her husband compete in the State Games. "Every once in a while, I look out the window and see his feet going through the air."

The closest most people will get to flying this weekend will be at movie theatres, watching Batman's latest flick. Miller, on the other hand, soars higher than kids less than one-third of his age thanks to his desire to stay in shape and one lucky break.

"A few years ago, high schools changed the length of their pits for safety," Terry said.

"They had to get all new pits, so I jumped at the chance to get one of their old ones for myself. The timing was perfect because I'd been jumping for a couple years, and it had been hard to find a place to practice most of the year."

A personal pit is where the convenience ends for Terry. Everything else, from his perfect physical condition, to the nationally-ranked jumps, are a product of hard work.

"He took about a 30-year break after high school," said Jamie Kennedy, one of Terry's three daughters. "When he turned 50, he began training to get his body back where he knew it was supposed to be."

Terry once had nightmares that he was unable to run, and felt disabled due to his lack of physical activity. The bad dreams inspired his return to pole vaulting and motivated him to compete at the same level he once did in high school.

In addition to the family members who follow him to meets, Terry's fan base grows every time he enters a competition. Parents who come to watch their children can't help but cheer for Terry and his age-defying athleticism.

Meanwhile, what Terry enjoys most about the sport that keeps him young are the teenagers who are just beginning to enjoy the benefits of pole vaulting.

"I love it," Terry said. "They've shown me more than I can ever show them. It's phenomenal."