Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- An assistant professor at the University of Utah will make her national television debut Monday night on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report." She's actually been assigned to be Stephen Colbert's boss during the Vancouver Olympics.
"I've been called many things, not all pleasant: sports consultant, head doc, mental coach, jock doc," Miller says.
But before she leaves for Vancouver, she's going to New York as a guest on "The Colbert Report." The show is now the major sponsor of the U.S. Speedskating team.
During Colbert's shows he's been trying to make the team. He even came to Utah, at the Kearns Olympics Oval, to race Shani Davis for a chance to be on the team but lost.
As a consolation price, Colbert was welcomed to the team as Miller's assistant.
But all joking aside, her job during the Olympics is serious.
"The difference between the person at the top of the podium and maybe fourth place is who's the most mentally tough; who can handle the pressure, the challenges; who's not freaking out when all the cameras are on them," Miller said.
She'll be living in the Athletes' Village with the skaters and will be on call during the entire games. But as for her big performance on "The Colbert Report," she says she's not nervous.
"I'll use my own mental skills that I teach my athletes," she said, "and hopefully that will make me more mentally tough going on the show."
You can watch Miller on "The Colbert Report" Monday night, on Comedy Central, at 10:30 p.m. MST.
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
