Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Mills Shares Personal Journey at Tribal Leaders Summit [VIDEO]
When looking for an inspirational story, look no further than that of Billy Mills, the first (and only) American to ever win the 10,000 meter run in the Olympic games. With the United Tribes International Powwow in Bismarck Sept. 4-7, Mills was on hand at the Tribal Leaders Summit to share his inspirational story of professional and personal triumph.
Mills' triumph in Tokyo is widely-regarded as one of the greatest moments in Olympic history. Trailing with only two laps to go, the virtually-unknown Mills dug deep and surpassed Mohammed Gammoudi of Tunisia on the final lap to take home the historic gold. He was only the second Native American (behind Jim Thorpe) to win a gold medal at the 1964 Olympic games in Tokyo.
Since his defining Olympic moment, Mills has stayed active, traveling the world and advocating for the Native American culture on a world stage. Mills was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2012 by President Obama for his work with ‘Running Strong for American Indian Youth', an organization that addresses both the physical and emotional needs of the American Indian people.
Mills is set to make a number of appearances this weekend at the Powwow.