Miller Selected for Prestigious Tom Longboat Award
10/20/2022 2:52:00 PM | Rowing
• Tom Longboat Awards | Award Presentation Video | Award Winners Feature
TORONTO, Ontario -- University of Michigan rower Leah Miller was honored as the female recipient of the prestigious 2022 Tom Longboat Awards in her home county. The Tom Longboat Awards (one female, one male) are distributed annually in Canada to recognize Aboriginal athletes for their outstanding contributions to sport in Canada, honoring Indigenous athletes across the country. The award is presented by the Aboriginal Sports Circle.
Miller, who hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba, was appreciative of the recognition received by the ASC.
"I was so happy and honored to hear that I was this year's recipient of the Tom Longboard Award," said Miller. "He was an amazing athlete, and this award is something I'm proud to receive. It was awesome to attend the awards ceremony and see all the amazing athletes."
"This is an exciting and meaningful honor for Leah, and it's clear she has been the kind of competitor that has made her family and community very proud," said head coach Mark Rothstein.
"We at Michigan are even more excited this award was presented to Leah because her coach throughout her career has been U-M alumna Janine Stephens. It is special to see the Wolverine connection help Leah be recognized for all her hard work and growth as an athlete. Congratulations to Leah for being named the female Tom Longboat Award recipient this year!"
This year's male recipient was Connor Church, a wrestler, also from Winnipeg. Miller and Church formally received their awards at the 66th annual Order of Sport Awards, which included the induction of the Class of 2022 Canada Sports Hall of Fame members earlier this month (Oct. 6) in Toronto, Ontario.
Miller attended the ceremony to accept her award and dedicated it to her parents, Paula and Donald. Paula is a member of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation and Donald's ancestry is Métis.
In 1951, the Indian Affairs branch of the Canadian federal government created the Tom Longboat Awards to encourage Indigenous assimilation through organized sports. The awards were named after Tom Longboat, the famed Onondaga distance runner who passed away in 1949. Responsibility for the awards has changed hands several times over the years, but it now rests in Indigenous control, and the ASC has managed and presented the award since 1999.
Miller is preparing for her freshman season with the Wolverines, upcoming in spring 2023. She was part of Team Canada this past summer at the U-19 World Championships, training with current Wolverine teammates Abigail Dent and Jana Peachey. That opportunity followed an accomplished prep career which saw Miller compete at National Championship regattas, the Royal Canadian Henley, and other elite events.
