Billy Mills

Born June 30, 1938 in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Billy Mills is an Oglala Sioux Indian whose given Native-American name is "Loves His Country." Although an outstanding long distance runner, Mills' accomplishment at the 1964 Summer Olympic games in Tokyo, Japan stands as one of the most shocking upsets in modern sports. During these games, Billy Mills stunned spectators in one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history, when, as a virtual unknown, he outpaced the competition in the last 100 meters of the 10,000-meter race and took home a gold. He was not only the first American to win that event but in the process set an Olympic record of 28 minutes, 24.4 seconds. Mills now serves as the national spokesperson for the aid organization Running Strong for American Indian Youth. The movie Running Brave is based on his life story.