Emilie Miller named in Australian Steelers side for Canada Cup

Seven years after Miller made her Australian Para-cycling team debut in Switzerland, she has been named in the Australian Steelers wheelchair rugby side which will compete at the Canada Cup in June.

Given the multiple Para-cycling world champion is only a relative newcomer to the sport, it speaks volumes for her talent and commitment.

"It's been an absolutely insane, crazy ride how everything has happened over the past 12 months, but I really love it and am throwing myself in 100 percent," Miller said.

"Dual international, I hadn't really thought about that until someone commented on my Facebook page the other day ... that's something that's very cool and I'm very proud of.

"Every day I feel like I am learning more on court and we've always got some really valuable resources in terms of technology these days to show you new skills and techniques and tactics.

"Getting my head around that is definitely different to cycling. Everyone around me says it will take 10 years to get used to what I'm doing, so you've just got to listen to the best people in the business and I'm lucky I've got so many of them around me."

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Miller's path to Steelers selection began 12 months ago when she lined up for the NSW Gladiators at the national championships.

The Gladiators won gold, but then NSW was thrust into lockdown due to COVID-19 which meant things were put on hold.

Miller admitted it was frustrating watching the Steelers in action at the Tokyo Paralympics - naturally she wished she was part of the campaign - but when COVID restrictions eased, her meteoric rise in the sport did too.

"We finally got around to be able to get back into training and we had an Australian Steelers selection camp in February in Essendon. From that they selected a side to do a tour of Texas and I got picked, so I went over to the US in mid-March and did a tour of Texas," she said.

"Since I've come back I've played in the national league for Sydney Uni, which is awesome, and I've earned this selection off the back of that.

"So it's been quite the whirlwind."

Miller will become only the second female to represent Australia in the sport after Shae Graham, who is also in the side which will head to Canada.

She's also one of the least experienced members of the 12-player squad, but Miller sees that as a positive. It means she has plenty of team-mates to learn from.

"Going over to Canada, I'm one of two rookies on the team, the rest all went to Tokyo and have been playing for years and years, so it's exciting to be on that sort of team," she said.

"In a team sport you have that accountability to your team-mates and your coaches, but people aren't just excited for you, they're excited for the whole team. It makes that feeling so much bigger and you get so much more enveloped in that."

The Canada Cup runs June 2-5.

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