Friend Of Mary Beth Miller Remember Her

CBC Special Report, July 5, 7:45 p.m.

CBC: Family, friends and fellow athletes are in mourning today for Mary

Beth Miller. The award winning biathlete died suddenly last weekend

while training for a spot on Canada's national biathlon team. She was

23-years-old. I spoke with several of her friends and teammates

yesterday in Yellowknife. Ginny Wainwright, Kim Falconer and Dan Park.

I began by asking Ginny how she first got to know Mary Beth.

WAINWRIGHT: I started cross country skiing in grade two and she was also

in the jack rabbit program and that's where I started to get to know

her.

CBC: And what did she mean to you?

WAINWRIGHT: She was a great role model and just an awesome person all

around. I don't know anybody as sportsmanlike as her on and off the

field.

CBC: Dan, just speaking with Dan Park. Dan, just maybe give me your

memories of Mary Beth.

PARK: Well, I started skiing when I was about 11-years-old and she was a

couple of years older than me, I think. I was probably 11 and she was

probably 15. So she played a strong leadership role in my life. She

worked well with the coaches. She helped me learn how to ski and taught

me a lot of things just about how to compete. She always had a positive

attitude and always a smile at practice. So she'll be missed.

CBC: It looks like it. Everybody is here coming together. Maybe, Kim,

you could tell me what you think about Mary Beth when you first met her

and about the group here being here to support her.

FALCONER: Um, when I first met Mary Beth, we started skiing together in

jack rabbits. We were both in about grade four, or at least I was. She

was skiing before that. Her father and her were heavily involved in

skiing and I remember them both fondly during my initial ski days. As

for the group coming here, we've all had memories going back as far as

the day she moved here when she was in some of these people's elementary

classes and right up to the day before she left. Most of this group was

with her in the last few days in Yellowknife with her.

CBC: I am just speaking with Kim Falconer right now. Kim, maybe just

give me one memory that you remember about Mary Beth that will always

stay with you.

FALCONER: Um, it may be because it's the most recent but I recall the

day before she left, we all went out for lunch and just our last

parting. We gave each other a hug and walked a few steps away from each

other. I felt so proud of her and I was so happy for her as we all

were. She gave me the sweetest smile, just tilted her head and said

bye. I didn't know it was going to be the last time I say "bye" to her,

but if it had to be that good-bye, I feel I spent some amazing times

with her this summer, as we all did. It's such a shock still for all of

us.

CBC: And I can tell they all felt very, very close to her. As far as

athletically speaking, she was obviously very, very good at what she

did. Dan, you knew her well and you grew up with her to an extent.

What were her goals? What did she hope to accomplish?

PARK: I think ultimately the biggest goal she had was to make the

national team and compete at the Olympic level. That's every athlete's

dream and she had the dedication, she had the motivation, she had the

attitude to succeed. I have no doubt that she could have got there if

she wanted to. So there's nothing I can say right now.

CBC: And Dan mentioned what a great role model she was obviously for a

lot of the younger people too in the territories. How are you feeling,

Ginny? How did you feel about her as a role model for young people?

WAINWRIGHT: Well, she joined speed skating when she was about, I guess,

14. I would have been 13. She was really the first person who came out

and actually beat me out at the rink and it was quite a shock for

somebody who was used to coming in first all the time. (Laughter) She

taught me...She never let me lose. At the end of the day, she always

came up and shook my hand and told me what a great race I did. She was

just that kind of person. She always took the negative and made a

positive out of it. At the end of the day, she always had a smile on

her face.

CBC: If you were to think of one memory now looking back through all the

years that you've known her, what would that memory be?

WAINWRIGHT: Well, as Kim said, probably the most recent ones. When she

first came back to town and I was at the gym, so we were just talking

about the past year and she was talking about her accomplishments and

her successes and her failures. That's just the way life went and next

year's going to be better. She always looked to the positive. It was

never on a down note ever.

CBC: Dan, how do you think Mary Beth would like to be remembered?

PARK: I think she wants to be remembered as a leader, as someone that

people could look up to, someone people could follow. She'd definitely

want to be remembered as someone with a positive attitude. She always

had that. I don't ever think I ever saw her not with a smile on her

face. She's always had a positive attitude and never, never once I don't

think I ever saw her angry or disappointed. She's always been a high

spirited individual.

CBC: If you look at her high school annual and you look at her picture

there, she has a very, very bright smile. That's what strikes you about

her. Do either of you guys have any parting thoughts about Mary Beth

that you would like to share now? Kim?

FALCONER: I just think she'll always leave me with the impression and

the lesson, part of hat brought me here today is always remember that

she always had courage greater than her fear and that helped her to

achieve and led her to many of her goals. I think as her mom even said

yesterday, she had so much to teach all of us and I think we are also

lucky to have known her. Even she says in the school year book, she

says about one of the teachers that passed away - it suits her perfectly

too - what she said about him was not only do I mourn the loss of him,

but I mourn that others may not know him now. I feel the same way for

anyone who hasn't had a chance to be touched by her.

CBC: That is Ginny Wainwright, Kim Falconer and Dan Park remembering

their friend and team mate, Mary Beth Miller.