Thea Merkel Miller: always an athlete

Thea Merkel Miller’s earliest memories all include playing games and playing sports. 

“I was always active,” she said. “I was always running around. I loved motion and even at an early age I loved playing in a group. Being part of a team.”  

Growing up in Middlebury, Vermont, Thea played on basketball, soccer and lacrosse teams.

“When I played sports, my self-esteem grew,” she said. “I didn’t worry whether I was good enough, attractive enough. I was sort of a natural athlete—sports came easily to me. I had found my niche.”

Thea’s family moved to Ithaca when she was in eighth grade. The adjustment was tough.

“It’s hard being the new kid in the sea of teenagers,” she said. “Not belonging, missing old friends you have known and played with your whole life leads to sadness and low self-esteem.”

But sports presented Thea with the opportunity to find her new group and she was well-received. 

“Coach Lew Billington and coach Lynn Reitenbach were a big part of my joining and sticking with lacrosse,” she said. “They kept me in the game. I had a lot of wonderful coaches. As I played sports, I grew more confident that I would find my place in this new school. Sports  provided me with the connections I longed for.” 

During Thea’s Ithaca High School years, she starred in soccer, lacrosse and basketball. In 2018, she was inducted into the Ithaca High School Hall of Fame:

“Thea was talented, hardworking, and humble,” the plaque reads. “Her leadership skills were both exemplary and invaluable to all the squads she was part of.”

Thea played lacrosse in college, and following graduation, she coached some of the sports she had played, plus some new sports she had never played at Ithaca High School.

“It was an honor to be hired to coach at IHS,” she said. “I benefited so much from what I learned from my coaches; it was a wonderful feeling to share what I had received with others.”

Thea said she loved interacting with the young athletes and working with them to come together as a team. 

“While each athlete is coaxed toward being the best they can be, it’s also about learning to do what you commit to do, showing up on time and ready to go—all those good habits are what coaches can convey to young people,” she said.

Thea tried to follow the examples set by her IHS coaches and to help young athletes grow more confident about themselves.

“Too many young people never give themselves enough credit for what they do achieve,” she said. “They tell themselves they are ‘not that good.’ I made sure my athletes gave themselves credit for being hard workers, team players, for being respectful and always being there.”

For a person who loves lots of physical activities, coaching was a good transition after years of practicing and playing sports in school.

“When I coached, I jumped in and trained with the team and played with the team,” she said. “It was a lot of fun, and the athletes enjoyed that too; we all stayed in shape.”

Thea knew that she thrived on lots of exercise, so when she migrated from coaching to a job as a dental assistant, she found her way to the gym.

“My husband Eric and I both love physical fitness,” she said. “We love working out at the gym, sharing our successes and challenges, sharing what we learn. While we like to golf and spend time with our dogs, going to the gym every day is something we both look forward to. It’s an integral part of our mental and physical fitness and well-being.”

Every weekday, Thea is up early (3:50 a.m.), eager to head to the gym. Unless she is “seriously sick,” she wants to be at the gym, starting her workout at the gym at 5:30 sharp. 

“I find I just feel better—both my body and my mood after I’m done at the gym,” she said. “I feel like I have just completed an essential part of my day.”

To make it work with their jobs and family, Eric goes to the gym after work. On weekends, they lift weights and work out together, encouraging each other and comparing notes on building muscle mass and techniques.

“I feel really lucky to work for two terrific dentists Dr. Ira Kamp and Dr. Kerry Kelly,” Thea said. “I’ve had 10 terrific years in that practice.”

Thea said she really appreciates her support system as well.

“I have a great, supportive mother and sister and a wonderful husband,” she said. “My whole family is always understanding of my need to be active.”

In addition to her own benefits, Thea has seen how exercise can affect positive change in others, and she wants to spread that message.

“I can see how integral exercise is for healthy community members,” she said. “So many people have shared opportunities and advice and support with me; I am committed to paying that forward and encouraging people of all ages and abilities to make exercise part of their lives.”