Ocean City's Dan Miller to Light Flame at Summer Games

A team of 24 swimmers left the Ocean City Aquatics and Fitness Center shortly after 1:30 p.m. Friday (June 7) on their way to the Summer Games of Special Olympics New Jersey.

The team will join more than 2,500 other athletes competing in seven sports during the 2013 Summer Games at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in Ewing.

The swimmers — members of the Ocean City Stingrays team — will parade into Lions Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in front of thousands. The crowd — including special guests State Senate President Sweeney, U.S. Congressman Jon Runyan and Rutgers University head football coach Kyle Flood — will watch the lighting of the cauldron by Special Olympics athlete Daniel Miller of Ocean City.

Miller was inducted into the Special Olympics New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2012 for his overall achievement in sports. Miller has been competing with SONJ for more than 31 years, during which time he has become widely known, not just for his athletic accomplishments but also for his character.

“Danny’s contagious personality has made him a social celebrity, someone who can change the make-up of a room through his positive and outgoing personality, but recognize that his career record for achievement in sport is also second to none,” SONJ President Marc Edenzon said during the induction ceremony.

As early as 1987, Miller made his mark on the local, state, national and international level. He took home a gold medal in swimming at the 1987 National Games in South Bend, Ind. His success continued throughout the 1990s, as he took home gold medals in speed skating at National Games in Minneapolis, New Haven and Raleigh. The highlight of Miller’s competitive career was when he took home the gold medal in downhill skiing at the 2005 World Games in Nagano, Japan.

Miller and his Stingrays teammates will compete against more than 400 other athletes in swimming events scheduled for Saturday and Sunday (June 8 and 9).