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Biography

Billy Mills

Olympian
Born: June 30, 1938
Birthplace: Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Pine Ridge, South Dakota

In 1964 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, an Oglala Lakota, 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.


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