By Daniel Green for The Beachcomber

Virginia Miller, a 16-year-old island athlete, recently earned a silver medal for the javelin throw at the national Junior Olympic games.

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympics is the host of 19 sporting events in which 15,000 athletes, ages 7 through 18, compete.

There were around 50 competitors in Miller’s 17- to 18-year-old women’s javelin division. Miller said that because her birthday falls earlier than most 16-year-olds, she was required to compete with the older girls.

This did not quell her determination, however, as she, against seemingly difficult odds, wound up with a second-place medal. Miller also broke her personal record by nearly 10 feet.

Miller stated that her intensive practice had prepared her well, and that she rarely felt nervous approaching the competition. She emphasized that the key to throwing is technique rather than brute force.

“It’s a super technical event, even though it seems like a strength event,” she said.

Miller began throwing the javelin in middle school and has stuck with it since, though she admitted that at times, “It’s hard to get out and throw.”

She explained that unlike crew — a sport in which she also participates — there is no sense of team motivation.

Fortunately, Miller’s father threw the javelin throughout high school and college and has offered her technical advice along the way. She said that he has helped her improve tremendously.

“He likes to watch (tapes of me throwing) in slow motion and tell me everything I do wrong,” she said, making it clear that his criticisms were constructive.

Following the family legacy, Miller wants to continue throwing for as long as possible — until she is forced to choose between javelin and crew, that is.

She hopes to attend both the Junior Olympics and the state competition next summer.

— Daniel Green recently graduated from Vashon High School, where he wrote for The Riptide.