This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
PARALYMPIC GAMES Fighting on


For U.S. Women’s Sitting Team libero Kari Miller, losing her legs in an auto accident was just another one of life’s challenges, and she’s not about to let it slow her down by Eric Hammond


dversity causes some to break, and others to break records. For proof, look no further than U.S. Women’s Sitting Vol- leyball Team libero Kari Miller. Going into this summer’s Paralympic Games in London, Miller and the team, composed entirely of athletes with some level of disability affecting one or more limbs, have the momentum to contend for their fi rst gold medal. Miller, now 35, grew up in Washington, D.C., playing sports every day, excelling in basketball and track through high school but never attempting volleyball. She eventu- ally chose to pursue a military career. In late December of 1999, she was informed of her acceptance into offi cer candidate school.


A


Excited by the news, she and some friends went out to treat them- selves to a nice dinner.


On the way to the restaurant, their car was struck by a drunk driver, and Miller ended up losing parts of both legs – one below the knee, the other above the knee. She credits encouragement and support from her mom, who is a police detective in D.C., with helping her recover from the accident and achieve a new set of goals. “My mom has been a great strength throughout my life,” she says. Miller was introduced to volleyball for the


fi rst time in 2004. “The girl served the ball at me, and to me Goin’ for gold


With bronze and silver medals from Athens and Beijing, the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team is eager to add the fi nal color to its Olympic hardware collection


ting Volleyball Team, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, is focused on one goal. Head Coach Bill Hamiter says that after the team earned bronze in 2004 in Athens and silver in 2008 in Beijing, success now means winning it all. “They’re hungry for that gold,” he says. The team qualifi ed for London by earning


H 30 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at usavolleyball.org/mag


eading into the Paralympic Games this summer in London, the U.S. Women’s Sit-


ON THE BALL: Kari Miller of the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team gets plenty of action in the backrow as the team’s libero.


it looked like fi re and sonic waves were shoot- ing out of the back,” she says. “I screamed and got out of the way, but that’s when I fell in love.”


Paralympians play the sitting version of the sport. It features a lower net and smaller court. Players are required to be “seated” on the fl oor at all times during play, so they use their arms and hands to move. Soon after Miller saw that fi rst rocket of a serve, she tried out for the national team, but she narrowly missed the cut.


the silver medal at the 2010 Sitting Volley- ball World Championships. They spent 2011 working on systems of play and developing both new and veteran athletes, going 18-1 in competition. “We’re constantly trying to fi nd that small edge that makes a difference of a point or two, which is all we need to win that gold medal,” Hamiter says.


The golden dream was dealt a serious setback last year when team captain Kendra Lancaster was critically injured in a car ac- cident. However, Lancaster is working hard to recover quickly and has now returned to train- ing with her teammates. This June, they won gold at the Volleyball Masters tournament in The Netherlands.


The U.S. team has made it a point to com-


“Sometimes you have to not succeed in order to actually understand what it is that you’re gaining when you do succeed,” she says.


Her mom encouraged her to keep pushing


and fi nd out what she needed to do to become national team material. “She’s always telling me that ‘no’ is just the fi rst answer – fi gure out how to get around it,” Miller says. By 2006, Miller had done just that, mak- ing the national team roster and contributing in major international competition. This led shortly to the highlight of her volleyball ca- reer so far, earning a silver medal at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. “That experience – there’s no way you can describe being able to have your mom, your dad, your cousins and everyone there to watch you play after coming from not even being able to walk, after coming from not being chosen to actually being chosen.” Feeling a desire to defi ne her own legacy and help others, she took advantage of an opportunity to become a part of The USOC Paralympic Military and Veteran Program, which helps service members who have suf- fered life-changing injuries recover through sport. Her work includes visiting wounded service members in the hospital. “It wasn’t so much my visiting just them, but it helped the families as well – seeing me walking with two legs, but it’s with two legs missing, that I’ve been able to accomplish getting the silver medal, that I have a life, that I am a happy person.”


pete against China, current world No. 1 and the reigning gold medalists, as much as it can to get comfortable playing them. “They have weaknesses,” Hamiter said. “They have streaks, and we can try to counter- act those and it’s just like any other team.” Ukraine, ranked No. 3 in the world, is another top threat, featuring big, experienced players, many of whom played on the stand- ing team before they were injured. Hamiter believes the U.S. is the deepest team in the Paralympic Games and that it’s feasible to have a two or three-time Para- lympian on the bench and not starting, which continues to drive improvement. “We can win this thing,” he says. “We know what we need to do. We just have to get it done.”


PHOTOS: USA VOLLEYBALL


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80