BIOGRAPHY:
One of the most successful alpine skiers in American history, New Hampshire's Bode Miller has captured the attention of the world with his incredible athletic balance and ability to produce jaw dropping performances on skis. Raised in an electricity free home, the two-time World Cup overall champion, four-time World Champion and five-time Olympic medalist has lit up the world as one of the most prolific international athletes ever.

Even after 17 years of World Cup racing and nearly 400 World Cup starts, Miller continues to inspire and be inspired by skiing. The 2011 World Championship season was no exception, as Miller continued to show his speed with podium finishes at the Munich parallel slalom and a super G at Hinterstoder, Austria. However, there were two races that stood apart last winter—the Hahnenkamm downhill and the World Championship super G.

At the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbuehel, Miller battled the particularly gnarly terrain to land in the leader box where he stood until Swiss veteran Didier Cuche put it all on the line by tucking over the treacherous Mause Falle jump to win the race in bib 18. Miller simply smiled and offered his respect, saying "that is what this sport is all about."

Then, in the opening race of the World Championships, Miller lost a pole seconds into the race but continued to lead and even make up time nearly to the finish line before losing his balance and ultimately finishing 12th. It wasn't a medal, but it was another run for the highlight reels for Miller.

Never one to show his cards, Miller says as long as he's having fun skiing and staying fit, he'll race.

BODE SAYS:
"Kitzbuehel can chew you up pretty badly if you make bad choices. Here, athletes are forced to make risk management decisions that can be critical to their life and their safety. That's what made skiing here so great in the past and is being lost now. Everybody is taking maximum risks, because if you back off, 50 other guys won't. The athletes have the responsibility. It's not the course that's too fast. If it is too fast, then slow down. It's just that your ability was not matched up to how fast you were on the course."

"I look at the big events as a great opportunity. You can go out and set a course on the side of any mountain, but at a World Championships you have the atmosphere and all the components are in place. If you can use those to build your inspiration up, then you're capable of using it to get a performance out of yourself that you wouldn't be capable of getting any other way. For me, there are only a few things that I can use to get that kind of feeling and skiing is the easiest one."

FIRST TRACKS:
Growing up near Cannon Mountain, Miller was skiing by 3—Mom brought him to the mountain and he'd ski with staff—but he also enjoyed snowboarding. Still, at 13, he entered Maine's Carrabassett Valley Academy to be a ski racer, and made a big impression at the ’96 U.S. Championships at Sugarloaf, up the road from CVA, when—at 18—he was third in the slalom title race. Miller then debuted on the World Cup circuit in the ’98 Olympic season, finishing 11th in his first race.

OFF THE SNOW:
A father, Miller spends much of his time off snow with his young daughter Dacey in California. Also active in philanthropy, Miller is passionate about the Turtle Ridge Foundation, an organization he started in 2005 with focus on environmental protection issues and providing opportunities for young people to participate in recreational activities. He hosts two major fundraising events annually BodeFest, a skiing event in the spring, and BodeBash, a golf and tennis classic later in the summer.