Local triathlete Julie Miller says it’s a difficult, emotional time for her and her family following a New York Times article about allegations of cheating at the Ironman Canada event in Whistler last year.
Following “Swim. Bike. Cheat?” an April 8 feature article about her in The New York Times by reporter Sarah Lyall, The Squamish Chief contacted Miller for comment.
The athlete emailed the Chief to say that she had been away on spring break and was catching up on emails but had little new to say. “This has been an extremely difficult, unfair and emotional time for me and my family, and we are looking forward so, respectfully, I won’t be commenting any further,” she said in her email.
She attached a statement she made last fall, reiterating that she did not cheat and wished she knew what happened to her timing chip during the Whistler Ironman event. Miller said that maybe she should have made a statement sooner but thought the truth would come out and that this would be resolved fairly.
The athlete has supporters. The PowerHERhouse website, for example, reposted a 2014 profile of Miller with an editor’s note: “Not one woman among us has never been accused of doing, saying or thinking something inappropriate. Not one.
“PowerHERHouse lives its mission of empowerment and support for all women, including those living with such accusations.”
Since the story went online earlier this month, it has attracted more than 1,200 comments.
The Squamish Chief also ran a series of articles about Miller’s Ironman disqualification and other updates last year.
Lyall said what she found interesting about writing the New York Times story was the level of anger in the triathlete community and how the other athletes started to question the results and look into possible explanations for Miller’s finish in Whistler and other races.
“I didn’t know when I started that I would write such a long piece,” Lyall said of the 5,500-word feature.
The reporter heard about Miller’s case through other news stories and started looking into the matter more, beginning with phone interviews and previous research. She came to Squamish for a few days to talk with people in person, including other athletes and Miller.
“I came because nobody would really talk to me,” she said.
At first, she found some people were apprehensive, but once they realized others were talking, they began to open up about the situation.
The reporter did make contact with Miller but did not receive much comment besides saying she was innocent.
“I really did bend over backwards to present her point of view,” said Lyall.
