Currimundi Olympic hopeful Billy Miller could not have received a better initiation to the sport of water polo.

Introduced through a family friend, a 14 year-old Miller lined up in a Sunshine Coast father and son competition alongside 1984 Olympian Russell Sherwell and the country’s most capped test player, triple Olympian Ray Mayers.

In that time Miller developed a tremendous love for the sport, an eagerness which triggered a move to Brisbane as a teenager and a debut season for the KFC Queensland Breakers in the National Water Polo League (NWPL).

He has since gone on to become one of the Aussie Sharks’ most important and consistent players, but his links to Sherwell and Mayers haven’t been the only famous sporting connections.

Younger brother Mitchell is a professional surf life saver and top ten competitor in the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IronMan Series. The fierce battles the two shared inciting fond memories of the childhood from which their journeys all began.

“Growing up everything was a competition,” the 23-year-old Miller said.

“From seeing who could be first to the car in the morning to touch footy in the afternoon if we didn’t have training, everything was either a race or a contest and someone would always come home with tears.

“Still to this day we are challenging each other, but now it is great that we are both reaching the heights of our respective sports and achieving success.”

As preparations for London intensifies, Miller will rely on the support of all his family and friends to ensure he is in the best possible shape come selection next June.

“Towards London it’s really just about knuckling down in every aspect from your training, eating, rest, physio and massage requirements and ticking all the boxes,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to the year, it’s an exciting year. I’ve never played in the Olympics or done the lead up so being part of the whole campaign should be an amazing experience.”

The Aussie Sharks’ next step en route to the Olympics is the squad’s second elite training camp in Sydney this month.

Miller along with fellow Queenslander Rhys Howden heads a list of 17 players that have been shortlisted for the November 13 camp.

The Pan Pacific Championships in January and the NWPL season will also be key fixtures for players to impress coaching staff.

Source: Australian Water Polo