{"id":107384,"date":"2026-01-30T16:53:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T21:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=107384"},"modified":"2026-01-30T17:01:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T22:01:32","slug":"horizon-scholarship-recipient-connects-ancient-athletics-to-modern-wellness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2026\/01\/horizon-scholarship-recipient-connects-ancient-athletics-to-modern-wellness\/","title":{"rendered":"Horizon Scholarship recipient connects ancient athletics to modern wellness"},"content":{"rendered":"

NOTE: This is one in a series of articles on Brock\u2019s 2025-26 Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship recipients. Read other stories in the series on <\/em>The Brock News<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

There is a Latin phrase that has always stood out to Julia Miller: \u201cMens sana in corpore sano,” which means \u201ca healthy mind in a healthy body.\u201d The sentiment inspired her explore Classical scholarship and today\u2019s growing interest in wellness and athleticism.<\/p>\n

As someone who values health, physical activity and community, Miller is integrating her background in human kinetics and weight training into her Master of Arts in Classics.<\/p>\n

Through her research, she explores how ancient societies grappled with human health and limits, shedding light on enduring ethical questions about technology, well-being and excellence that continue to shape modern sport and medical care.<\/p>\n

She is particularly interested in the intersections of ancient sport medicine, the portrayal of Greco-Roman athletics training and muscular in sculpture, and ancient regimens for physical and psychological optimization and their impact on community identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s eye-opening to learn just how much Greco-Roman culture influences our modern athletic activities. We go to gyms, we run marathons and we watch the Olympics with fervor every four years \u2014\u00a0these all trace back to Ancient Greece,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Miller recently received a Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship in recognition of her dedication to learning and research as well as her strong desire to build and foster community everywhere she goes.<\/p>\n

Coming from an athletic background, Miller grew up practicing judo, kendo, taekwondo, competitive aerobic gymnastics and Olympic weight training \u2014\u00a0a barbell workout featuring intense full body movement \u2014\u00a0all embodied experiences that inform her research.<\/p>\n

“I am particularly interested in training programs of ancient athletes including their diets, the intensity of their workouts and the consumption of possible sport performance enhancements,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship recipient Julia Miller is motivated to help foster supportive and inclusive environments on campus as Mental Health Champion and Training Assistant at Brock\u2019s Zone Fitness Centre.<\/p><\/div>\n

Miller is also fascinated with how ancient traditions such the Olympic Games and Gladiator games have shaped historical understandings of physical excellence and how they continue to inspire modern ideas of fitness and idealism.<\/p>\n

She hopes to add to the research on ancient athletic techniques, from strength training programs to nutrition to mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cAncient athletes knew to have protein and carbohydrates in their diet and touted the benefits of strength training, for example. Now that we have the science-backed data to prove these benefits, it\u2019s important to connect the dots between classical scholarship and today\u2019s growing interest in wellness and athleticism,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Miller\u2019s work also aims to highlight voices that are often \u201cinvisible\u201d in the ancient sports world, including women and girls.<\/p>\n

\u201cFemale representation in ancient athletics took specific forms, particularly in Sparta and later in the Roman world. By examining training, races and chariot victories, I want to shed light on\u00a0their\u00a0lived experiences,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her research has a direct impact on how she lives her own life, especially as it relates to community and improving mental wellness for herself and others.<\/p>\n

She is motivated to help foster supportive and inclusive environments as Mental Health Champion and Training Assistant at Brock\u2019s Zone Fitness Centre and is involved in many Classics and Archaeology events.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our department, there is a familial connection. Everyone is so kind and generous with their knowledge and passion,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Miller is also a member of the Humanities Graduate Student Symposium<\/a> committee, a role she is keen to take on to help amplify the work of Brock\u2019s graduate students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to help people. Whether that be through supporting my community, through my research, or working in recreation spaces helping people meet their goals, I see myself making positive contributions in all these spaces,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

According to Miller, humans today are more like the ancient Greeks and Romans than one might think, with shared values and goals of leading healthy, full and happy lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuilding community is really what it\u2019s all about, from ancient to present times,\u201d she said. \u201cBrock is a special community I am thankful to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is a Latin phrase that has always stood out to Julia Miller: \u201cMens sana in corpore sano,” which means \u201ca healthy mind in a healthy body.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":107387,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[188,55,37,1],"tags":[144,3335,3330,9928,10037,30],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107384"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107384"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107392,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107384\/revisions\/107392"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}