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BILLY MILLS
In 1964, on a warm summer night in Tokyo, Japan, American Billy Mills shone brighter than any star in the Oriental sky.
Unheralded, unappreciated, virtually unto the world, Billy Mills scored one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history; winning a gold medal in the 10,000 meter run with a stunning come-from-behind finish that left the world's best runners in his wake, and the rest of the world in disbelief.
In the 92 years of the Games, Billy Mills is the only American ever to win this event.
Billy Mills, a Lakota (Sioux) Indian born on the reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, learned early that life doesn't always come easy. It was exactly this harsh realization that brought him to the pinnacle of the athletic world.
Billy Mills fought prejudice, jealousy, and scorn to become one of America's best distance runners of his day Through high school, the University of Kansas, and the Marine Corps, he was often the target of envy and contempt. His ancestry was ridiculed, his integrity questioned, and his talents ignored. But while his detractors made every attempt to strip Billy Mills of his dignity, they could never extinguish the fiery determination in his soul.
Then, one night in Tokyo, Olympic Gold around his neck, Billy Mills had suddenly become a national treasure.
In 1984, Billy Mills' story was brought to the big screen in the motion picture "Running Brave". The climax of the film was Billy's Olympic triumph. What the film does not show, however, are Billy's personal victories since his day in the Olympic spotlight.
Today, Billy Mills walks in two worlds with one spirit- the Indian world and the White world- asa successful businessman and athlete. Mills is an entrepreneur, family man, and community leader. He is an active fund-raiser with his charity, Running Strong for American Indian Youth. Billy Mills is a dynamic and engaging speaker, one of the most inspirational in America.
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