LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Lexington police officer brought home gold from the 2025 World Police and Fire Games, marking his first-ever participation in the international competition known as the "Games of Heroes."
Officer Andrew Miller competed against more than 3,500 first responders from around the world at the bi-annual event held in Birmingham, Alabama, at the end of June. Miller won gold in hammer throwing and bronze in shot put.
"Going down there was a huge experience," Miller said.
The former Division-1 athlete followed in his father's footsteps, who also competed in the same Olympic-style games during his career protecting the Louisville community. Miller's father was a Division I athlete at the University of Louisville, competing in long jump and triple jump.
"I had a cheat code, right? My father, he was a division one athlete at the University of Louisville. He was long jump and triple jumper. He was excellent at his craft and him being able to install everything that he installed in me," Miller said.
The World Police and Fire Games have served as a platform for first responders to compete against one another since 1985. For Miller, the competition represented more than just athletic achievement.
"We do everything at a high level, that's how I was raised, that's how I raised my children, that's what I came down to Birmingham to do," Miller said.
Despite competing against other first responders from around the world, Miller said the real competition was internal.
"You're competing against yourself. What you can do, right? And you can only do what you can. So once I was able to realize that the intensity in my preparation, I was able to actually kind of find some calm within the storm," Miller said.
The world champion mindset carries weight back at the office, where colleagues have taken notice of his achievement.
"A lot of people have been calling me an Olympian and, you know, let's get a squire. I'm not an Olympian, right, but it definitely feels like the Olympics," Miller said.
Miller said he plans to relax for a few months before starting training again for future competitions.
"I think the kids now say, having that dog in them, I definitely had that dog in me and I was able to exemplify that while going down there," Miller said.
