Running Brave: An Olympic Champion Honors His Lakota Heritage

Billy Mills is the cofounder and national spokesperson for Running Strong for American Indian Youth. An Oglala Lakota (Sioux) who was raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, he earned a track scholarship to the University of Kansas and later served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Billy Mills came from behind to win the gold medal in the 10k race at the 1964 Olympics, and he is still the only American ever to win a gold medal in that event. He was the inspiration for the movie Running Brave. The movie stars Robbie Benson and chronicles the story of Mills's life on the reservation and the many obstacles he overcame to become an Olympic champion. Mills is the coauthor of Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Understanding. ISCORE Keynote Address. For more information about attending the Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity, go to: http://www.admissions.iastate.edu/iscore...ation.html