Duxbury Native to Row for Olympic Gold
LONDON (CBS) - Wednesday afternoon, Duxbury native Will Miller will row in hopes of bringing home an Olympic gold medal in the Men's Eight final.
Read: WBZ London Eye Blog
The 28-year-old Northeastern alum is the son of former Olympian William Miller, who rowed for the US in the 1972 Munich Games. Despite the familial connection, the younger Miller didn't seriously begin training for the sport until college.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Drew Moholland spoke with Miller's Dad
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"I grew up playing other sports, but it wasn't until a little later that I fell into rowing," said Miller.
Miller assures his father's involvement in the sport has been handy, but never a hindrance.
"He's never really imposed himself. He's been a great help. He's been there, he understands what training's like, what the system's like, and the sport in general," Miller explained.
Miller, who now lives and trains in California, was officially London bound after a win over France and New Zealand in the qualifying regatta last May in Lucerne, Switzerland.
More: Olympics Coverage From London
"It was a relief," he said, regarding the win at Lucerne. "We knew what we had to do, we knew what it took to get it done."
He cites support from the Duxbury and Northeastern communities as helping him get to where he is today.
"It's definitely great, a lot of friends and fans, a lot of people have been supportive," Miller exclaimed. "When you have people rooting for you, it's always a help."
The US Men's Eight boat will row against the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, Canada and Australia at 12:30 PM BST (British Summer Time.)
Keesa McKoy, Victoria Price and Matthew Reed are students at Boston University, spending their summer internships reporting from the London Olympics for CBS Boston.
