LATER THIS month in Vancouver, when the USA Olympic speed skaters are racing for the gold, a little bit of the Ohio Valley will be there too. She won't be with the athletes on the ice but Nicole Detling Miller of Barnesville will be in their heads.
For the last two years, Detling Miller has served as the sports psychologist for the U.S. speed skating team. She's been an intricate part of their training, helping them deal with anxiety, pressure, confidence - all the mental aspects of competitive sports.
"Just like athletes work on their physical skills, they also need to work on their mental skills," Detling Miller explained.
She has worked with the speed skating team for the last two years in Utah, where her private practice Headstrong Consulting is located. Previously, Detling Miller also worked with the U.S. ski team for the 2006 Olympics in Torino. This year will be the first time she has attended the Olympics.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said the Barnesville High School Class of 1993 graduate. "When I first started (in my career) I wanted to be where I am right now."
Adding to the excitement of the experience is Detling Miller's appearance on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report." After host Stephen Colbert's failed attempt to make the Olympic speed skating team, he was assigned an assistant sports psychologist. Detling Miller flew to New York for the taping of the show, which will air tonight at 11:30 p.m. on Comedy Central.
Detling Miller's Colbert appearance has drawn a lot of attraction from her students at University of Utah, where she is a visiting professor. She said that her only way to move forward with coursework during a recent class was to promise to answer all questions of her TV experience after tonight's show.
Although Colbert will not be gracing the team with his athletic ability, many other hopefuls will 36 speed skaters to be exact. Detling Miller has high hopes for the 2010 Olympic team, whose record is 10 medals in the Olympic games.
"We will come home with more than 10 medals," she predicted.
Detling Miller is excited to watch the athletes' success. It's an added bonus of her job. While she is living out her dreams as a sports psychologist traveling to the Olympic games, she is also helping the athletes achieve their dreams.
"I feel very blessed to really love what I do," Detling Miller said.
The Barnesville native, and daughter of Rev. Tom and Bonnie Detling, first found her dream career while studying psychology and sports medicine at Ohio Wesleyan University.
"I kept thinking 'I love both of these fields. If only there was a way to put these together'," she remembers.
Her father told her about sports psychology during her junior year. Following the conversation, she realized a course about the mental aspects of sports was on her schedule for the next quarter.
"I thought that's exactly what I want to do," she said.
Detling Miller continued her education at Ithaca College where she received her master's in sports psychology. She earned her doctorate in sports psychology at the University of Utah, where she also teaches undergraduate courses.
In her practice, Detling Miller offers her services to a wide array of athletes, from professional baseball players to a 13-year-old Irish dancer. She also has a contract with a local high school.
"It's a pretty eclectic group of individuals who I work with," she said.
Detling Miller is the mother of two boys five-year-old Logan and three-year-old Elias. She resides in Utah with her sons and her husband John. And even at the other side of the country, she holds her roots in Barnesville, a community that she says has always been there for her.
"Barnesville was always really supportive of me. I think that's one of the things that lead to me to where I am. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have so many people supporting me," Detling Miller said.
