Joseph Miller’s stint in the upcoming XTerra Albay on February 7 will be an emotional one for the Sarangani Province native.
Miller, a former back-to-back Filipino elite champion in the most grueling off-road triathlon race in the country, is not only racing to win, but also to honor his fallen daughter.
The 36-year-old Miller, now based in Cebu, lost her daughter last month due to dengue, which affected his preparations for the Xterra race.
As tough as it is, Miller said he is trying to keep himself focused for the race but admitted thet what he’s going through isn’t easy.
“It’s really not that easy to adjust [from the loss]. It takes time,” Miller told CDN via text message.
He said he started training as early as August a few days after his doctor gave him clearance after suffering from a rotator cuff injury. He was expecting to reach peak form on December until the tragedy happened, forcing him to stop training for two weeks.
“It affects me mentally and physically but I just think about my child and my wife. We will still pursue together our dreams dedicated to our daughter,” Miller said, sharing that his daughter actually wanted to become like him.
“Even if I didn’t want her to be like me, she really wanted to.”
Miller placed sixth in the men’s pro open last year. Competing under Ford Forza Tri Team, this will serve as Miller’s first major triathlon race for the year. He is also expected to race in the XTerra Asian Championship later this year.
“I have very high expectations for myself in this race but as we all know XTerra is very unpredictable. Anything can happen to you in the middle of the race. But I always remain focused and I am very determined to land a higher spot at the end of the race, ” Miller said.
This year’s race will feature a 1.5-kilometer swim in the Lidong Beach and will traverse a 35k off-road bike course in the foothills of Mayon Volcano. The 10k trail run will be at the terrain around the world’s perfect-coned volcano.
An added challenge for Miller will be the presence of formidable triathletes like former three-time XTerra Philippines champion Ben Allen of Australia, Guam’s Cameron O’neal and Charlie Epperson, Michal Bucak of Crotia, Taylor Charlton of Australia, Hong Kong’s Hsieh Chung Sing, Australian Brodie Gardner and defending champion Bradley Weiss of South Africa.