Anthony Miller beat broken bones, carbon monoxide poisoning, a traumatic dirt biking accident and Covid-19, situations that would derail most young athletes. Then he beat the odds again, topping his final opponent in the 2021 Colorado 2A State Wrestling Championship to claim the 220-pound title and become the last wrestling state champion in Paonia HS history.

Anthony's story of determination, perseverance and unflagging tenacity shows why he was an easy choice for the Medal of Courage Award. The youngest of four boys, he has battled back from adversity almost since he could walk. An ATV accident when he was four resulted in his first airplane ride and a night at Children's Hospital. He broke his collarbone in ninth grade in his first (but not last) dirt bike accident. An avid and successful motocross racer, he exemplified the motocross credo of, "It is not a mat­ter of if you get hurt, but when and how bad.''

He was also injured on the mat; a broken ankle as a sophomore prematurely ended his sophomore season, and a broken hand in the state semifinals ended his junior season. Off the mat, there was a horrific scare when, as a sophomore, he spent the evening on a couch in his basement and suffered carbon monoxide poisoning, a result of a new boiler in the family's basement with a faulty ventilation system. After two visits to the hospital, he beat the odds and recovered.

But those setbacks were "minor" compared to his motocross accident on June 19, 2020. Anthony, practicing for his next motocross race, was unresponsive when discovered. His mom arrived at the scene as a Flight for Life helicopter flew him from Hotchkiss to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, then to Children's Hospital of Colorado in Aurora. He had extensive and life-threatening injuries (bones broken in his left arm, multiple bones in his face, and multiple areas of bleeding in his brain). His parents were told that had he not been wearing his protective gear he would have died; without his neck brace, he would have been a quadriplegic. The blunt force of the accident actually broke his carbon fiber helmet. Anthony spent four days on a ventilator in the intensive care unit. On Father's Day, he was extubated and began breathing on his own again.

‘The first thing I remember is waking up in the hospital," Anthony said later. "It felt like I was dreaming. That's what I asked my mom, if it was a dream, because I had been in it forever." Over the next two weeks at Children's Hospital he learned to walk and talk again. Due to Covid restrictions, only his parents could spend time with him. On July 2, against all odds, Anthony walked out of Children's Hospital. His team of doctors then met with him and his parents to inform them he needed to avoid all contact sports for at least a year, including wrestling.

Anthony had other plans. Over the summer, he worked tirelessly with his outpatient therapy teams, surprising everyone with his rapid progress. In the fall he became the student coach for the football team. In November, with wrestling season approaching, Anthony wanted another opinion from his doctors. At a check-up with his family doctor, Anthony was cleared to wrestle.

Then, one day after practice started, his mother tested positive for Covid, sending him into quarantine. A week later, Anthony also tested positive. Anthony was actually grateful for the timing as there would be no way of catching it later in the season.

In March he was the only state qualifier to come out of Paonia, just after the news that Paonia HS would combine with nearby Hotchkiss as a consolidated school. After pinning his first two opponents, he won a sudden victory bout in the championship to claim the championship — barely nine months after a motorcycle accident that nearly claimed his life.

Anthony's accomplishments stretch far beyond athletics. A 4.0 student, he dedicates time regularly to serving his community. He worked as a tutor for younger students in science, and served as a personal mentor for a disadvantaged student. His principal, Randal Palmer, wrote that Anthony has had "an active role as a contributing citizen that is not only accomplished academically, athletically, and extra-cirricularly, but in away that displays his character toward his community both locally and globally."

The Medal of Courage honor is seldom approved for a high school student. Anthony's story and perseverance no doubt paved the way for this rare selection. Although he still faces residual issues with the way his brain functions, he continues to excel in all areas. He will be attending Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction and plans on studying mechanical engineering.