Rant

"Ski hard, play hard, and sometimes fall hard." A quote that sums up the average life of admirable ski racer Bode Miller. Recently in the news Miller has been named the racer who "races while drunk". This recent "news story" has an explanation that goes something like this : " It was not presented in the press realease as a light moment. It was presented without context, leading anyone rading it to asume tha thte "drunk skiing" episode would be the heart of the stroy and that is was, on blance, the news. Neither of these things was true.." explains Sports Illustrated Tom Layden. Bode Miller is not the athelte that should be labeled as the one who skiis drunk but as the one who has an admirable attitude about racing. He is not worried at the least bit about the being the one who ends up on the first place spot on the podium but instead reaching his personal best. Another thing that he is not worried about is being famous. The reason Miller says he races is beccause it makes him happy and to him the culture surronding the event is part of the fun. Miler says, " If you guys were my family or friends, or could hang out with me while I was skiing down the race course, you'd see an exceptionally happy person." Another reason Miller is a good role model and should be representing the United States is becuase his morals that he sends to kids are those that parents would admire as well. Some of them being that he stresses the improtance of participation, not victory, and that he builds up to reaching his goal. Miller also gives back to his community by playing baseball for a minor league team and purchasing tickets for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Massachusetts so they could attend. All in all, Bode Miller is an admirable athlete who teaches kids that is it more about particiaption and reaching your personal best as opposed to winning and ending up on the podium. Regardless of the fact that Miller makes mistakes, he isnt the first human to make one and I'm sure won't be the last, he came back and made up for it, continuing to be the good role model that he is.

Second Strongest Argument

My second strongest argument is that Bode Miller has an admirable attitude about ski racing. His morals are incomparable to those of other athletes. I feel that as a racer I when I look up to Bode I gain confidence in myself that I don't gain when I look up to other ski racers. When I look up to Bode I feel like I can win, without thinking about actually winning. All I do is think to myself if I do my best and reach the highest speed possible, I will be satisfied with my performance. There is nothing worse then crossing the finishline and looking at your time and thinking that you didnt do your personal best. I know when I feel that I haven't done my personal best it is becuase all I was thinking about at the "start" was that I would like to be on that podium at the end of today. I think that it is very admiarable that Bode Miller can make me think differently about the sport and the outcome of it at the end of the day. Millers attitude about his racing career is summed up when he says, " I am not trying to win a gold medal, that's for people trying to prove themselves, and I've never tried to probe myseld to anyone. What I'm trying to do is go fast. A lot of racers do everything right except go fast. That's because they are trying to win medals." The sport makes him exceptionally happy. "If you guys were my family or friends, or could hang out with me while I was skiing down the race course, you'd see an exceptionally happy person." This shows that the way he races not worrying about the outcome just about having fin is truly the key to the sport. Miller is a cultivating image that all ski racers, including myself dream to achieve the skiing ability that he has. Bode skiis hard, plays hard and sometimes falls hard. These are the three ingredients to being the racer that has an admirable attitude. I believe that without Miller in the ski racing world many racers would be altogether to caught up in the outcome, for instance landing on the podium or making finals. With Miller as a role model that has an admirable attitude about skiing it opens up a new window of not only caring about winning but also about doing your personal best.

My Strongest Argument

My strongest argument is that regardless of the fact that in many peoples eyes he isn't a good role model for the everyday person watching a ski competition, a recreational skiier or even a parent of a racer for the racer himself/herself he is an amazing role model. He shows racers that the sport isn't all about ending up on the podium after the race but about doing your personal best and reaching the fastedt speed you can flying down the mountain. The fact that he made the careless remark about racing drunk is not what a good role model would do, but the fact that he said it in a light hearted moment while chuckling as opposed to how "60 Minutes" made it the enitre news story. "It was not presented in the press release as a light moment. It was presented without context, leading anyone reading it to assume that the "drunk skiing" episode would be the heart of the story and that it was, on balance, news. Neither of these things was true.."-Sports Illustrated Tom Layden. And, lets face it all ski racers are around the apres ski party, where parents and coaches have dinner and celebrate the exhilarating day of skiing that is now left behind them. As a racer myself and having many friends on a ski team with me, I know that when this controversy occured my friends and I all looked up to Bode Miller. We all thought "Oh, the same old Bode is being a rebel." But, one thing I know is that none of us thought, Bode raced drunk..so why dont we. The racers who were old enough to know about the controversy were also the ones who knew that it wasn't anything that we should be trying. All in all, Bode is a good role model because he shows racers of all ages that the sport of ski racing isnt about winning but more about doing your personal best. I know as a ski racer this is a nice change from your parents and coaches worried about the winning and ending up on the podium at the end of the day. My friends and I look up to Bode for the good morals he has not for the mistakes he make as a normal human being would as well.