Second Native American to Win an Olympic Gold Medal & Co-Founder
Running Strong for American Indian Youth
Billy Mills (born June 30, 1938) also known as Tamakoce Te-hila, (Oglala Lakota) is Gold Medalist in the 10,000-meter run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. A United States Marine at the Olympics, Billy is now a businessman, accomplished author, and co-founder of Running Strong for American Indian Youth since 1986.
Recently, Billy has co-authored a children’s picture book with Donna Janell Bowman, a biographical tale of his awe-inspiring flight to a record-breaking gold medal. The book is entitled Wings of an Eagle. This treasure, breathtakingly illustrated by award winning Lakota artist, SD Nelson, is a soaring testament to the power of dreams, determination, and the Lakota prayer… We are all related.