The Future of Fitness By Efren Martinez
It wasn’t too long ago that this good-looking kid approached me with curiosity while I was DJ’ing a fitness event. In truth the curiosity went both ways. For Theo Miller it must have been the fact that I loved to race as much as I love to DJ. For me it was all about how this “kid” was able to run so darn fast. At age 11 Theo is a gifted runner with two exceptional parents to lead him by example.
His parents Alan and Jan Marie Miller are very much into living a healthy lifestyle and are members of various fitness groups as well as regulars at their local gym. With that being said, it’s not hard to figure out why Theo is so active in fitness and prefers healthier treats when it comes to snacks. In fact Theo’s favorite snack food are green apples with peanut butter and when it comes to preparing the family meals he’s all about learning the nutritional value. Don’t get me wrong, Theo isn’t much different from any other 11 year old who likes soccer, football, baseball and soon enough, girls. What sets Theo apart from most his age is his hunger for racing.
According to Jan, Theo’s mom, he showed an interest in running while he was in preschool and by the age of 9 he entered in his first big boy foot race. Talk about going big or going home, his first race was a 10K! Since then he’s raced about 15 road races ranging from 5K to 10K’s. Last Spring he decide to give track a go and participated in nearly 20 races ranging from the 800, 1500 and 3,000. He has placed in every single age division road race he’s ever ran and kept knocking his own record books to the curb during last years track season.
Outside of running, Theo keeps it well rounded with playing racquet ball with his dad, Alan, as well as enjoying kayaking and hiking with his family. When Theo isn’t laying down the miles, he also likes to lay down the beats, as in drum beats. According to his parents Theo can sit for hours beating the skins on his drum set. He’s truly an amazing kid in and out of his running shoes and his parents have done well planting the seed of health for the rest of Theo’s future. I asked Theo, from one runner to another, what he enjoys the most about running. His reply was, “I like winning, feeling free, knowing that God gave me this ability to run. Running is a gift that I love”.
Theo’s personal Modesto View fitness message. “Don’t let anybody tell you, you are too small, or not good enough, everyone can find what they are good at. May not happen right away, but for sure you will find what you are meant to do for fitness. Remember the saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, it doesn’t say candy or soda a day keeps the doctor away. So think about what you are really putting in your body, choose to be strong”.
Friends, below are a few upcoming fitness events for you and your family to enjoy. Get out, get moving and stay healthy. May 2 Age With Movement www.healthyagingassociation.org/AWM/index_html May 10 Rina’s Run 5K & 1/2 Marathon www.rcafsite.com May 10 Ride for MOM www.rideformom.com May 24 Modesto Memorial Classic 1-mile & 5K www.shadowchase.org
