An interest in coaching was piqued in Klara Kesmarky Miller at the YWCA when she was 11. That sparked a lifelong career in sport and more than 60 years of involvement in gymnastics.
Miller was born in Budapest, Hungary and her family arrived in Canada as refugees in 1956 when Klara was two-and-half years old. She was involved in sport and arts programs at the Regina YWCA and through their Leaders in Training program and was assigned to help with the gymnastics classes at 11 and was also a student leader teaching swimming.
The Regina Girls Gym Club trained at the YWCA, and Miller would sit and watch practices and marvel at the skill of the athletes. The coaches and parents at the club noticed her interest and encouraged her, which led to her helping coach at the club and beginning her judging career at 16. She was still in her teens when she went to the board at the YWCA and asked for some funding for improved equipment and some gym time and from that she created the YWCA Limberettes Gym Club, which she would serve as the head coach.
The Limberettes had more than 20 athletes competing at Western or national-level competitions and outgrew their YWCA space. In 1978 the Regina gymnastics clubs joined forces to form the Queen City Kinsmen Gymnastics Club. There Miller served as the daytime program director and facility manager for 10 years as well as serving as the women’s head coach.
She began her career in sport administration in 1986, serving as the CEO of Water Polo Saskatchewan for eight years. She was also on the board of directors for Water Polo Canada, including eight years as vice president. At the same time, she was also the president of the Regina Optimist Dolphins Swim Club.
In 1994 she began her career as the CEO of Gymnastics Saskatchewan that lasted until her retirement in 2024. In that role, Miller had a vision to bring all the gymnastics disciplines together – men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, tumbling and trampoline and rhythmic gymnastics – at one national championship for the first time in 2007. The event proved to be a large success and Regina hosted again in 2012.
Miller served as a judge for 27 years and became a National 4 level judge. She also worked as a technical chair and event director at competitions at provincial, regional and national levels. Through all of her involvement she never forgot the great mentors she had at the YWCA that started her on her path. Many of her former athletes and others that she mentored went on to careers as coaches, judges, board members and volunteers in sport.
Installed in the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame on September 20, 2025.
