Miles with his ODP Olympic Team National Training Selection Camp certificate
When Miles Cole was selected last weekend as one of only 13 players from the Los Angeles County/Central California water polo ?Coastal Zone? to participate in the U.S. Olympic Team pipeline National Training & Selection Camp, it was an emotional moment for his parents, Joe and Susan.
Not so much because of Miles? accomplishment, but because of his journey getting there.
Born with severe Hemophilia A, the prospect of Miles playing competitive sports, let alone a physical sport like water polo, was unthinkable. Many ?severes? have not survived, are forced to spend months in the hospital, or are at home fighting internal bleeding issues. Hemophilia A is caused by an inherited defective X chromosome.
A relatively new medication replaces the clotting factor VIII that Miles is completely missing. Every 48 hours he must receive the medication intravenously, something that Miles, 14, enjoys shocking his Santa Barbara Aquatics Club teammates with on the road. The medication helps Miles? blood to clot and allows him to be physically active. His parents administer it via a port in his chest, but recently Miles is becoming successful in infusing himself in a vein in his arm.
As long as Miles is treated before games, and receives more medication if he gets hurt, he?s fine. If Miles misses his meds just one day, he starts to ache, bruises easily and there can be all sorts of complications.
?When Miles was born we were told he wouldn?t be able to play sports and would spend a lot of time at home, missing school,? Susan says. ?As a baby we used all kinds of padding, he wore a helmet and we had to restrict his activity.?
Miles? love of competitive sports was also certainly inherited, and stimulated while watching his older siblings Jeff and Allie from the sidelines as a youngster. Jeff, 10 years older, was a water polo CIF Player of the Year at Santa Barbara High, part of a gold medal winning team at the national ?Junior Olympics? club championships and went on to play at Princeton University where he became the team?s captain. Allie, 8 years older, was a soccer and volleyball stand-out in high school then played volleyball at SBCC and rowed at the University of Puget Sound.
Already 6 feet 2 inches tall, and a force at the set position in water polo, Miles is also passionate about basketball, including following the Lakers and playing one-on-one against his father and brother. He?s also played soccer, competed in Taekwondo, run track and participated for three years in the Junior Lifeguard program. Only about two years ago he switched from playing club basketball in Santa Barbara to club water polo, making his pick to the USAWP National Selection Camp even more impressive.
?Miles success with water polo represents hope for parents who discover that their new baby boy has hemophilia,? Joe says. ?He jokes with his teammates about it and simply loves the action in the pool ? the rougher the better.?
A special thanks to Chip Ehrhardt for submitting this amazing story!!
