What started out as a relaxed riding trip on Vancouver Island turned into a serious off-season injury for local downhill mountain bike racer Miranda Miller.
Miller, 19, broke her leg while scoping out a trail with a group of friends on Mount Prevost near Duncan on Jan. 21. She was riding around a small jump while checking out trail features on her first run through, unaware that there was a large root sticking out at shin level. She pedaled into the root, which stopped her abruptly as it struck her directly on the right shin, breaking both the tibia and fibula.
For a downhill racer accustomed to powering fast through extremely steep, technical descents, the circumstances of the injury are frustrating, said Miller.
"It was totally a freak accident kind of thing. Not even doing anything gnarly, just going around something," she said.
Miller, who is entering her second Pro Elite racing season, will undergo surgery and is expected by off the bike for about 12 weeks, which includes six weeks of rehabilitation. She broke the same leg when she was 13 years old, which led to two surgeries.
Miller said she was lucky to have been riding with a group of four riding buddies, including fellow National Team member and Vancouver Island native Dean Tennant. Although Miller was able to roll most of the 40 minutes back to their vehicle, Tennant gave a much-needed boost up inclines.
At that point, Miller didn't know the extent of the injury but tried hard not to put any weight on her right leg.
"It hurt pretty badly and I figured I better get out of there quickly," she said.
Despite the setback, Miller said she is determined to race the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California in mid-April. Last year, Miller placed sixth in the event's SRAM Mountain Bike Downhill competition amongst a Pro Elite field of 29 riders.
April's Sea Otter Classic could be the start of a big season. Miller already has a U.S. Open title from her first Pro Elite season, but is looking to carve her mark even deeper on the national and international circuits.
Miller's leg injury shouldn't be serious enough to slow her down if past performances are any indication. In August, Miller was cleared to compete in one race at Whistler's Crankworx while recovering from an acute renal condition that left her hospitalized just week's prior. She not only competed in the Monster Energy Garbanzo Downhill, which is one of the longest downhill races in the world, she also won it.
