Bode Miller’s Brother Dies At Age 29, Was Aspiring Olympian
Bode Miller’s brother died on Sunday, cutting short the life of an aspiring Olympian.
Chelone Miller, the younger brother of Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller, was found dead in the area near Mammoth Lakes, California. Police said they received a call around 12:45 pm about an unresponsive man in a van, but, when fire department and sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the scene, they found that Bode Miller’s brother was already dead.
Chelone was trying to follow in his brother’s footsteps and aspired to make the US snowboardcross team for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He had a promising career to date and had just finished fourth at the 2013 U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix in Canyons, Utah.
“Chelone Miller was an aspiring elite athlete who had made great progress as a snowboardcross rider this past season. We are all deeply saddened at the news of his death and extend our condolences to the entire Miller family,” US Ski and Snowboard Association President Bill Marolt said in a statement on the team’s website.
Last month, Miller also won the Rahlves Banzai Tour overall title thanks to a a victory at Sugar Bowl in California.
Bode Miller’s brother dies at an already difficult time for Bode. The five-time Olympic medalist missed the entire 2012-13 World Cup season recovering from a knee injury.
Bode has obstacles in his personal life as well. He is preparing to engage in a custody war with ex Sara McKenna, who gave birth to the couple’s son.
McKenna has claimed that Bode is an unifit father, living on an unsafe boat and struggling with alcohol addiction. Bode is asking a judge that McKenna be barred from leaving California.
At the same time, Bode Miller has filed another petition against Chanel Johnson, claiming that he’s the father of her 4-year-old girl. Miller asked the court for joint and physical custody as well as child support payments from Chanel.
Police say they don’t know what caused the brother of Bode Miller to die. Chelone did have a history of seizures after being badly injured in a 2005 motorcycle crash that left him in a coma for almost a year.
