Millersburg athlete John Miller places 11th at CrossFit Games in Columbus

As an athlete it’s always intriguing to see how one stacks up against the competition.

John Miller recently found out, and he is quite fond of what he discovered.

Miller works out of Stormbound CrossFit, a local CrossFit gym located near Millersburg. Miller, who serves as a nutrition coach and trainer, proved his mettle when he competed in the CrossFit Games in Columbus in late August.

Miller qualified for the world event, which features thousands of participants who try to qualify for the World CrossFit Games. After making it into the semifinal stage of qualifying, he masterfully battled his way into the finals, an elite group that included just 30 members.

“It was a little surreal,” Miller said of the finals, where he eventually fashioned an 11th-place finish. “These are the guys at the highest level of the sport, so being on the same floor as these athletes I’ve looked up to was really awesome.”

Miller spent months putting himself through rigorous workouts to earn a spot in the Men's 35-39 group, eventually placing 15th among the finals qualifiers.

Qualifying began in February with three weeks of qualifying competition, one workout during each week that invites the entire CrossFit membership worldwide to compete.

The games are all about times, reps, distance and load, and the functional movements are constantly varied to keep athletes on their toes. Everyone must record their performances on a CrossFit app and send it in, and a judge must be present at each effort.

After qualifying for the semifinals, Miller completed five individual workouts, all of which had to be completed and submitted within a three-day period.

Judges then reviewed each entry, and Miller found himself bound for Columbus.

For Miller, the toughest moment didn’t come during his workouts but in the two-week waiting period to see where things shook out.

“That was the most nerve-wracking time,” Miller said. “I was a mess because it’s a big deal just to qualify for the world event.”

Once there, Miller found himself knocking heads with the most fit CrossFit athletes in the world, and several of those competitors were among the world qualifiers in prior years.

Miller began working the CrossFit scene in 2019 when he was taken under wing by veteran CrossFit member Jason Schultz, who sadly passed away in an automobile accident several years ago. Miller was relatively new to the games but remained steadfast in the belief that he could compete with the best the world had to offer.

“He was an incredible mentor for me,” Miller said. “He really inspired me to pursue this and to teach.”

The four-day event saw athletes compete once or twice every day. Upon reaching the world championship, Miller was given a boost of confidence when the first event was a 7,000-meter run, an event in which he excels.

“Endurance is my strength, so I was thankful that event started it off,” Miller said.

Seven more events followed that featured a variety of demanding performances, ranging from cardio to weights, ring muscle-ups, overhead squats and box jump-overs.

Miller knew to qualify for the final event he had to be among the top 15 competitors, which he was. That last event was four rounds of two rope climbs, four wall walks and six Olympic lift snatches.

“It was paring a tough mix of gymnastics, climbing and lifting,” Miller said, noting his highest ranking in the competition was seventh overall.

Oddly, Miller said the toughest part of the event wasn’t the workouts, but rather something most people are good at.

“Sleeping,” Miller said. “I usually have no issues sleeping, but because of the schedule and I was so wired, I was out of routine of when to eat and sleep. It’s not what I envisioned being the hardest part of this. Usually, it’s all about recovery time, but the sleep thing was super-difficult.”

Miller said the entire experience was special, and he is looking forward to putting forth the effort to qualify next year.

Now with this experience, he believes even bigger things can happen.

“I hope to improve,” Miller said. “It was humbling to be in the top 15, but it was also extreme validation to something I’ve committed myself to perfecting. I know nothing is given, so the hunger must continue to be there. I’m still a work in process.”

Despite the accolades, nothing has changed for Miller, who co-owns JCM Timberworks with his brother.

Miller’s busy days include coming into Stormbound CrossFit and leading classes at 5 a.m., going to work and then coming back into the gym at 4:30 p.m. to coach a new group of athletes.

“I’ve been doing that for about five years,” Miller said. “It’s not easy to challenge yourself through these workouts, and the mental part is as difficult as the physical challenges, but if someone commits to it, they’ll be well-rewarded.”

Stormbound CrossFit is located at 5667 County Road 333, west of Millersburg.