37-year-old above-knee amputee and Gainesville resident Nikiha Miller will vie to secure a spot on Team USA at the 2016 USA Canoe/Kayak Sprint National Team Trials next weekend.
Miller will use a custom-designed prosthetic leg to compete in the 200-meter kayak race, to be held April 30 at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville. Kayaking will be part of the paracanoe event debuting at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, affording Miller the opportunity to become one of the first athletes to compete in the sport at the Paralympic level.
Miller was born and raised in Montana, where he joined the U.S. Marine Corps when he turned 18. In 2004, at the age of 26, Miller was riding his motorcycle when he was struck by a car that ran a stop sign, resulting in a crushed hip, ruptured aorta, and the loss of his right leg above-the-knee. At the time of his accident, Miller was an avid athlete, and after being fit with a prosthetic leg, he quickly returned to being active. He took up kayaking as a form of exercise shortly after his accident.
What began as a hobby turned into opportunities to compete at the national and international level, resulting in first-place finishes at the 2013 Endeavor Games, 2013 and 2014 Lake Placid International competition, and the 2015 Lake Lanier Summer Regatta, where he placed first in both the paracanoe and masters able-bodied divisions. Miller has also represented the U.S. in paracanoe at the 2013, 2014, and 2015 ICF World Championships.
Miller continues to thrive with prosthetic technology, and his motto is, “Change is inevitable, growth is optional."
