Billy Mills: Olympic Gold, Advocacy, and Embracing Diversity

As we sat with Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills, his tales of perseverance against adversity struck a chord, reminding us of the power of belief and the human spirit's resilience. This episode takes you through Billy's journey from a boy facing prejudice and personal health battles to the glorious moment where he clinched the gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. His story, immortalized in the film "Running Brave," isn't just an athletic feat; it's a beacon for challenging prejudice and embracing inclusivity, which resonates deeply in today's world.

The adversity Billy experienced is a stark reflection of the historical and systemic challenges that still impact indigenous communities. Our discussion spans from the Doctrine of Discovery's role in the subjugation of native peoples to the contemporary struggles against land theft and racial injustice. Billy's race wasn't solely for the gold—it was a sprint for identity, a marathon for democracy, and a relay for diversity, all of which continue to shape the legacy he builds beyond the track. Join us as we explore how sharing these stories can educate and inspire action towards a more just society.

Beyond the race, Billy's life has been one of giving back. In this episode, he shares the inception of Running Strong for American Indian Youth, an organization dedicated to supporting indigenous communities. We also celebrate the shared respect and friendships fostered through sports, highlighted by Billy's bond with his fellow competitor Muhammad. From the lighter moments of discovering new fruits to planning for summer events and birthdays, this conversation with Billy Mills is an uplifting blend of victory, unity, and the pursuit of a life lived with purpose and intention.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Welcome to 3-2-1-Go the Podcast. I'm John Pelkey.

Speaker 2: 0:08

And I'm Carissa Galloway and we're bringing you stories from start to finish to keep the everyday athlete motivated to keep moving towards the next finish.

Speaker 1: 0:16

All right, carissa. Today our guest and this is a very, very special show. He is a Native American member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He is in the National Track Hall of Fame, the US Olympic Track Hall of Fame, and some of you may remember the 1983 film Running Brave, which is based on his experiences at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics where he surprised everyone, coming out of nowhere, to win the gold medal in the 10,000 meters. Billy Mills is our guest. This is really, really exciting.

Speaker 2: 0:50

John, I just got goosebumps with you reading the intro and if you guys don't know Billy, please don't be like I don't know who that is. You need to listen to this episode. It brought John to tears.

Speaker 1: 1:01

It did.

Speaker 2: 1:01

This is the man who, if you ask Jeff Galloway who is his running idol, it is Billy. This guy is amazing and his story, the prejudice he has overcome to accomplish what he accomplished oh, by the way, with a significant health issue doing all of this it's absolutely amazing. So I would encourage you guys please listen, please share Billy's story, because we still see prejudice today in the world and only by learning about other people's experience, I think, can we continue to break that down and push to a world where we don't see where we're from, we only see the humans. So thank you for Billy for being here, for sharing his amazing story. You guys are going to be moved. He's a big deal and healthier you. Today we're going to talk about fruit, which seems silly after doing all that Philly has done. We're going to talk about fruit, but we are, and we're going to answer a listener question about twitchy legs. If you like us, please rate us and share the episodes you love on social media. Thanks, let's do this. 3, 2, 1, go.

Speaker 1: 2:17

All right, carissa, we're going to keep our chat quick because, as it says on my script that you wrote, we are on vacation. I would like to point out that I am not actually on vacation. I am, as you're listening to this, working a cruise. I'm not just out there willy-nilly day drinking my way through a cruise. No, I am working hard on the Disney Vacation Club member cruise to the Mediterranean.

Speaker 2: 2:39

I'm going to ask for a rewind to the episode where you said I met the Disney day drinkers on this cruise. I did so. Yes, I know, as I, you are not on vacation, but I think you maybe will have some vacation time and with your work. But I do know when you have to work it gives a little extra level of anxiety, especially you mentioned you're going to be working at night. You got to keep your P's and Q's in line, manage your energy. I know that, but you're in the Mediterranean.

Speaker 1: 3:10

I am.

Speaker 2: 3:10

So we can't chat long because you're busy.

Speaker 1: 3:12

And again you brought up the Disney Day Drinkers. I had an opportunity to meet up with those guys. They've actually released a beer that is available in the central Florida area called Binnie's Brew, and that's for the trash bin that they use as their mascot. That is on all the little coins that they have and that's where, for those of you who have never been to the International Food and Wine Festival at Disney, there is a remarkable lack of table space, so you end up eating and drinking around a trash bin. So it became their mascot and they released a brew called Binnie's Brew and I actually went to a little get-together and got to taste it. It's delicious. So shout-out to those folks. They would appreciate what I'll be doing on my non-performing days while I'm on my cruise.

Speaker 2: 3:57

Yes, and I will be there showing the kids glaciers. Hopefully we'll be eating some king—I'll be eating some king crab legs. I just wanted to show the kids Alaska, so hopefully we'll be able to enjoy that and we will have a whole. It's going to be very special. I feel like it's very Muppets-esque the Crows wrap up show. When we get back. We're just going to talk about cruises and that'll be fun.

Speaker 1: 4:19

How much exercise are you doing right now on your cruise? I usually, when I'm on the cruise now not the last one that I went on just schedule-wise. For this one, schedule-wise, I will probably get a couple of days on the treadmill, but I'm going to be doing so much walking that I and we're also going to try to get off the ship. Disembark time is around 7 am, so as committed as I am to my health moving forward, I am not committed enough to get up at 5 am to run. So I'm going to get a lot of steps in and I'm going to try to get on the treadmill at least a couple three times just to get my heart rate up a little bit.

Speaker 2: 4:52

All right, here's my challenge for you on your cruise, which is happening right now. So if you go to the VN. You can do the Castaway Key 5K. What I want from you, before you say anything on a treadmill over, before you say anything on a treadmill over the length of the entire cruise go 3.1 miles.

Speaker 1: 5:09

Oh, okay, no, because normally I do. If I do my treadmill, I do 30 minutes and I get fairly close to a couple of miles with that generally. So I think I can easily hit that. I will hit that.

Speaker 3: 5:21

And.

Speaker 1: 5:22

I'll have some sort of video representation, because, god knows, you shouldn't trust me in that, but my wife will keep me.

Speaker 2: 5:29

Is the Pelky Running Club hat going.

Speaker 1: 5:30

Pelky Running Club hat will be traveling internationally. I don't believe it's the first time it's traveled internationally. I'm kind of being shamed by everyone else who's wearing it all around the country and the world. So it's headed to Barcelona, Spain, tomorrow, and then it'll be all through Italy and Sicily people.

Speaker 2: 5:45

And Weston's reel was on the Pelkey Running Club.

Speaker 1: 5:48

I saw that yep so good.

Speaker 2: 5:50

Well, we're going to go back to vacation. John's not doing yard work.

Speaker 1: 5:54

I'm not answering emails.

Speaker 2: 5:55

We are John's working. I'm just having fun, but we are glad you are here to listen to Billy and we are so glad to have our sponsors, like Pillar Triple Magnesium. They're a sports micronutrition company who develop products that intersect between pharmaceutical intervention and sports supplements. John and I have been using Pillar's Triple Magnesium and, john, it's great.

Speaker 1: 6:16

Absolutely. I was having problems with cramps in my legs after my run and it seemed to help that, and it's also I will tell you right now what I could really tell was taking it slightly before bedtime. My sleep has been really real. I usually move around a lot, I wake up. I sleep well, but I wake up a few times and boy, it really has improved that. So highly recommend folks.

Speaker 2: 6:42

Yeah, and it's not. You know, you can't just grab any magnesium. This is a high dose of magnesium glycinate, which is a specific powerhouse ingredient. It's used by John, by me, by professional triathletes Gian Fredino, ben Knute and Gwen Jorgensen. So we thank Pillar for their support and in the US you're going to find it on the feed. So just go to the feed, look for Pillar and use the code 321GO to save.

Speaker 1: 7:03

We also want to thank Sarah Akers with Runs on Magic. As a lover of Disney herself, sarah always loves helping plan those magical weekends to a Run Disney event. But the world is your oyster with Sarah's help. Perhaps she could help me pronounce oyster. That would be great. I don't know. We'll have to check in with her Whether you're looking to book a honeymoon getaway, all-inclusive girls trip, family cruise this chat's all about cruising or international adventure. She is here and at your service.

Speaker 2: 7:32

Yep, Not only is Sarah a Swifty, but she offers complimentary travel planning services, personalized itineraries, everything. So wherever you're thinking about going, just go ahead now email her at runsonmagictravel at gmailcom. She can help you. She is helping people right now with packages for the Hong Kong Run Disney races in November of 2024. Same weekend as Wine and Dime, but if you can go, Sarah will help you. Her Instagram is RunsOnMagic and use the promo code 321GO.

Speaker 1: 8:04

Okay, civilians, it's time for the goods. Let's get on to the interview. All right, carissa? This is very, very exciting. Today's guest authored what is considered one of the most stunning upsets in Olympic history nearly 60 years ago, with his gold medal victory in the 10,000 meters in Tokyo in 1964. As a virtual unknown, though, we'll talk about that, because he had a pretty good resume. Actually, he was the first non-European, and remains the only American, to win gold. In the event. He's also, notably, a proud Native American member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and a subject of the 1983 film Running Brave. Welcome to 321. Go, billy Mills, how are you? And let everybody know where you are.

Speaker 3: 8:59

You know I'm doing great. My wife and I, Patricia, just celebrated our 62nd wedding anniversary and we live in Sacramento, california. Well, fair Oaks, fair Oaks, fair Oaks, california.

Speaker 2: 9:10

I have had the pleasure, well, happy anniversary. Yes, that's impressive. I mean, that's a whole podcast in itself. I've had the pleasure to meet you and your lovely wife, and it's so good to see both of you. It's been about five years, I think, since I saw you, but we're going to go way back. So you grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. What was life like there? You lost both your parents by the time you were 12 years old. So what were your younger years like?

Speaker 3: 9:43

Yeah, my younger years were very, very innocent. We knew. We definitely knew exclusion. We didn't understand the racism we faced. But a typical day of play, a typical day of play as an 8, 9, 10, 11, 12-year-old would be to ride 30 miles around a trip on a one-speed bike to go swimming, and then we'd swim across the lake, had an inner tube with us, the lake was, we felt like maybe a half mile, and then playing the cherry trees, so we'd play Tarzan in the cherry trees. I had frequently a mile of swimming a day and a 30-mile bike ride. So, unbeknown to me at the time, I was developing cardiovascular conditioning to someday maybe become a distance runner.

Speaker 2: 10:38

So you know, you're almost a triathlete. We've swam, we biked. When did running become part of your life, Mike?

Speaker 3: 10:47

when did running become part of your life. I never started running until I got to high school, but I did have my first official track meet at Black Hill State, rapid City, south Dakota. Oh my gosh, we'll have to this part. You had it. I forgot the name of the university, but in Rapid City, south Dakota, I had a track, an official track, the School of Mines. I ran my first official track meet. I ran 400 meters. I had on tennis shoes, levi's, but a brand-new T-shirt Everybody else had on spikes, they had on track uniforms. I was dead last but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the freedom, I enjoyed the challenge and ran my first actual half mile and mile as a freshman in high school, didn't make the team, my coach let me run the mile in the last meet and I won. I can't recall my time but I won and that was basically the beginning then of wanting to be a distance runner.

Speaker 1: 11:57

Wow. Well, you had a pretty good career in high school, actually at what was then called the Haskell Institute, I believe, in Lawrence, kansas. You won the state championship in cross country and because of that and your success, you got a scholarship to the University of Kansas. Had that been something that was on your mind? Had that college scholarship been a goal of yours in high school?

Speaker 3: 12:24

Yes, my sophomore year I won. I was second in the state mile and won the unofficial state cross-country championship. Sophomore junior and senior year was finally up unofficial state cross-country championship and won the mile my junior and senior year. So my coach, tony Kaufman, was like a second father. My father died when I was 12, and he started mentoring me, thinking in terms of college. My dad would say find your passion in life, develop the skills to equal the passion, bring them together and boom, magic is created. So my high school coach and my dad had me believing that maybe I could create some magic. And my dad would say one or two of the magical things you do in your life just maybe looked upon as a miracle.

Speaker 3: 13:10

But I always went which I didn't know at the time low blood sugar in high school. My college coach I'd go low blood sugar In high school. My high school coach would give me honey before I ran, so I would sip on some honey before I ran. Would give me honey before I ran, so I would sip on some honey before I ran. My first race in college. My first race in college, coach Easton took my honey jar away from me. He said this is college, we do things differently. So I ate four hours before competition and most of my college races, races I went low blood sugar, diagnosed 13 months before the Olympic Games that I was then hypoglycemic they said borderline type 2 diabetic. Before I finished competing they said I was type 2 diabetic. But I'm going to jump forward.

Speaker 3: 14:10

A few years ago I found out what the health issue was. Women usually get what I have. It's called insulin noma and possibly since high school I've had a tumor on my pancreas that spews extra insulin. It takes you high and low, high and low throughout the day. So my life has been constantly going high, going low, going high, going low. And I told Pat this past January on our 62nd wedding anniversary I said if I knew how to deal with hypoglycemia, which now brings on by insulinoma, instead of one world record I might have matched Clark record for record, I might have had 15 world records. I said my God, billy, you're 85 years old, just let it go. Always the competitor I competed with insulinoma coined low blood sugar throughout the day and post-optimum is a very erratic runner. The way they described that back in the day was you have low self-esteem, you're a minority. You grew up in poverty. You got to learn how to deal with those issues when all I was was a simple, simple health issue.

Speaker 2: 16:50

Wow, I mean that's just remarkable because I did not know this end of your story, because this is a recent development and when you were saying type 2 diabetes as a dietician, my brain was going well. That doesn't even make sense for a child at that age to have developed that. So I guess I'm glad that you found this answer. Has that helped you manage everything a little bit better, knowing that?

Speaker 3: 17:16

It does not help me manage.

Speaker 2: 17:18

Okay.

Speaker 3: 17:20

Because it's still a guessing. I you can get it right or you miss, but I've learned how to live with it. Surgery would be seven hours of surgery, but when I competed I had to train for one or two races a year. So my whole running career. I ran 12 years but my running career was 11 months. The last four months of 64, the next seven months of 65,. I 64, broke the American record on the weight of the 10,000, broke the Olympic record, broke the American 10,000 meter record, had broken another record but got beaten by Ron LaRue at a six mile and was ranked number one in the world. 1965 I broke five American records, one world record and went rank number three. That's my running career. 11 months. I walked off the track. I drank number three. That's my running career 11 months.

Speaker 3: 18:26

I walked off the track around the 7th or 8th of August 1965. I was wanting to go 2740 for the 10K, got sick, competed against the Soviet Union in Kiev, ukraine. I didn't compete. 10 days later I'm going against the German national champion. I won. I ran eight seconds faster than I ran in Tokyo, but also about ten seconds slower than Jerry Ligon. And I's world record, six-mile, converted to a 10K, I walked off the track and told Pat I'll never be world-class again, it's too hard, it's no fun competing as a diabetic. And then, of course, a few years later I found out it was insulinoma.

Speaker 2: 19:21

Wow.

Speaker 3: 19:22

Remarkable.

Speaker 2: 19:23

It is truly remarkable because what you achieved, the legacy that left in just those 11 months, was really for Jeff Galloway. You are his idol. You've made such a huge impact. I want to go back and you mentioned it a little bit with the people saying that you had the low self-esteem and blaming that on your upbringing. Had the low self-esteem and blaming that on your upbringing. We saw this in Running Brave your adjustment to college life at KU at a time when prejudice against Native Americans was not uncommon, it was rampant.

Speaker 3: 19:59

How difficult was that time for you and everything you endured. I had to really go inward and to get to understand who I am as a total, being half Lakota, half white, and came very, very close to suicide In my junior year in college. I made All-American in cross-country and was asked to get out of the photo and I broke. Now this was the AAU Championships, I think, in Louisville, kentucky, and I go back to the motel room and I'm truly going to jump. I didn't want to kill myself, I just wanted to go where it was quiet. And I didn't hear it through my ears. I heard, through energy movement in my body, an unspoken word that sounded like my dad's voice when I was 12 years old and before he died, telling me to find a dream. It takes a dream to heal broken souls. Find the dream, find the passion, develop the skills, bring them together. Magic can be created. And it was like just that memory you've been telling me. Then it was like his word Don't.

Speaker 3: 21:22

I got off the chair crying and I wrote down a dream to heal a broken soul, not to become an Olympic gold medalist. I put down an Olympic gold medal, 10,000-meter run. The creator has given me the ability. The rest is up to me Believe, believe, believe, believe. And started training for the Games. Then I met a man. It was like a miracle, tommy Thompson Sr.

Speaker 3: 21:40

Gold medalist in 1920 in the High Heels for Canada, dual citizenship, world record holder. He became my coach for 11 months and in those 11 months, what I described as my career was, to a great extent, because of my dad, my wife Patricia, my high school coach, and all that put together by Tommy Thompson Sr, who coached at the Naval Academy for 30 years, 28 of those years, totally deaf. He was the first coach who asked me what my dream was and I said to make the United States Olympic team to win a medal. My high school coach said don't dream too big, be more realistic.

Speaker 3: 22:27

Other coaches just kind of I could tell by their expression. Tommy said you want to win a medal at the games and I'm defensive, don't you think I can? Well, yes, but if you win a medal you may end up fourth or fifth. What medal would you like, like? What medal do you believe you can get? And I said coach, you're the first one I'm telling, other than my wife, I want the gold medal. And he said okay, billy, now we have some work to do. We've got the gold and he was my coach that made me known in a sense through sport. We'd always say, let's get together. After I got out of the Marine Corps and I was always too busy, coach got canceled next week and next week never came. But I prayed to him many times and heaven's sky is thanking him for the gift.

Speaker 2: 23:30

Wow, there's so much that you say that one could take away and it could be used as an entire chapter and a life lesson and belief and manifestation.

Speaker 2: 23:39

And I've had the pleasure of hearing you talk and the way you, when I saw you speak, when you talked about that picture and you, being the Native American, I've had the pleasure of hearing you talk and the way you, when I saw you speak, when you talked about that picture and you, being the Native American, asked to step out of an all-American picture. When I think of discrimination and I hear it on the news, billie, I see you and I see how cruel those actions can be for people, but I also see a man who took that and found a way to keep going through something that I think was just unspeakably cruel, as I said. So I thank you for sharing that and I hope that our listeners can learn from that in their own lives and any prejudices they may have in their own lives, to see past that and to kind of hopefully see the world in a wider view. So thank you for sharing that.

Speaker 1: 24:27

All right I want to talk about your career at Kansas because I mentioned it in the promo Everyone, billy Mills virtual unknown, but you had what I think most people looking at your resume would be a pretty good collegiate track career Three-time All-American individual Big 8 title in 1960. Your Jayhawk team won a couple of outdoor championships but you mentioned it. Your relationship with your coach, bill Easton, was a fairly rocky relationship. Can you talk a little bit more about that?

Speaker 3: 25:03

Yes, I think Coach East Houston was just a quality man and yet he faced what America is facing today and we don't understand it. There are so many innocent, innocent, quality people who are. Their impressions are made from systemic racism. Their impressions are made from systemic racism and systemic racism, in a sense, is an innocent form, but it doesn't justify it. So he wanted me in a sense, to be a part of the system, never really saying it, but to let go of virtues and values that I was hanging to as a young Lakota boy and we just had conflict. Looking back, the conflict in many ways was innocent of two people totally misunderstanding one another. But with your approval, I'd like to explain where that took me on my own research. It may take a bit of time. You can possibly do some editing.

Speaker 2: 26:14

No, we want to hear it.

Speaker 3: 26:16

Yeah, we definitely want to hear it what I want to say that the journey to find out why half of me was being accepted, the other half was being rejected. We voted at the University of Kansas proc team going to the Texas relays, whether I assumed I would join the black athletes and go to the military barracks so the white athletes can use the swimming pool at the motels, and the team voted unanimously as a team we'd go to the barracks. But I was wondering why, why, why? So I said on my own course, and America needs to understand today, if this incredible democracy is going to be saved or if we become an autocracy. I studied the Doctrine of Discovery To simplify it, but I encourage readers to just check it out. Basically it says any new lands found in reference to the new world Antarctica to Antarctica can only belong to the first Christian monarch. Arctica to the Antioch can only belong to the first Christian monarch Now I'm a Christian man Can only belong to the first Christian monarch that lies on those shores. The inhabitants based on archaeological digs, 50 to 90 million indigenous people must come under international rule of law. Their laws, their religions, their songs, dance, etc. Language will no longer apply and they must submit to Christianity. But then it was within a generation. If we submit it to Christianity we can own land. So that's the period of time they said we had no souls.

Speaker 3: 28:00

And Father Sierra, who Pope Francis made a pope about, maybe nine years ago when he was in the United States. Father Sierra fought for us to have souls. But why? The Vatican was giving perks to the new Catholic diocese springing up in the Americas, converting the immigrants coming to the new Catholic diocese springing up in the Americas, converting the immigrants coming to the new world. Father Sierra had primarily California indigenous people, what is now California? He violated women, he enslaved people, but he wanted some of those perks. So he thought for us to have souls. You can just check this out, the Catholic Church said. But he did more good than bad, so we made him a saint.

Speaker 3: 28:54

Pope Francis was asked by indigenous women would he denounced the doctrine of discovery? He denounced it last January. He called it genocide. So to kind of close this, I studied the Western movement, the land theft, signing treaties, breaking treaties and genocide. Archaeological digs say at the end of the wars, before the wars, 50 to 90 million indigenous people in the Americas, about 7 million survived. Other countries we've traveled to are studying. The most devastating genocide on the planet occurred in the Americas on indigenous people. Other countries are studying that today, when we're trying to let those winds of change, the passage of time wash away those footprints, when we truly need to study them. Because genocide, treaty signed treaties, broken slavery, land had to be developed. No words can describe that inhumane treatment of the innocent. Slaves are freed, jim Crow.

Speaker 3: 30:08

Then the Civil Rights Act Signed into law, I believe. One month before I won my gold medal, I went to talk to Martin Luther King's church. I wanted to stand where those four young girls stood, just to maybe get a feeling my words now of them celebrating their newfound freedom. When the bomb went off and they're killed, I went to the Jewish Saddle University. I went to their museum. I saw the faces of those poor young girls. There's no face because they were to create who they were, but their life was taken. Many, some of the tribes, the Cherokees for example, will make a little doll to play with their child, to play with. That doll will have no face because she or he will create who they are. They'll create their image.

Speaker 3: 31:03

So the Civil Rights Act was countered by the war on drugs and you can trace the drugs being implemented in the poverty areas of the major cities, la. You can trace them to the reservations of the major cities, la. You can trace them to the reservations. Pat and I visited three reservations before the pandemic or because of meth. The war on drugs to make black men and hippies felons was extremely successful and they dropped hippie and include young indigenous men. It's been extremely devastating, young girls seventh, eighth and ninth grade having to find different places to sleep every night for fear of being violated by somebody on drugs. Some of the states today, south dakota is trying to say it was a tribal issue caused by the tribal leaders when you can trace the war on drugs from the inner city, founded by some of our key officials, by our employees, our federal leaders. So the doctrine of discovery created genocide. Land had to be developed. Now British Sign Treaty is broken, slavery, jim Crow, the war on drugs.

Speaker 3: 32:27

Those footprints you can find etched into every fiber of our social way of life, our educational system, our political system, our entrepreneurial system, influencing or dictating the rule of law. And those are the questions we face today. Do we address or do we let those footprints be washed away? You can just, on your phone, bring up the states that are banning books. We just are coming out with a book called Wings of an Eagle, little Billy's Journey, and Winning the Gold Medal, and I wrote the book with Donna Bowman, an incredible writer, and she was able to help and she articulated the dream I had, which I took from sport, articulated the dream I had, which I took from sport, of trying to create global, national, local unity through the dignity, character, beauty of global, national, local diversity and just our pledge of allegiance one nation under God, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. It doesn't say freedom, it says liberty, and liberty comes with morality, morality comes with faith. Liberty puts checkpoints on my freedom. So I do whatever I want, as long as I don't interfere with your freedom, or vice versa. For this incredible democratic experiment takes extreme discipline of our freedoms to mature. I'll say to the sacredness our flag represents, but maybe not all of our laws, so support the challenges.

Speaker 3: 34:13

I faced at the University of Kansas. It empowered me and I remember landing in Tokyo, japan. As the plane was coming down, I looked down at Sao Montfuji. I was told by our elders you come from the heart of everything, that is the Black Hills. They're sacred to us. And humble yourself to all creation. Represent your family, your tribal nation, the United States of America, because our most powerful prayer we're all related. So I'm going into Tokyo now. An officer in the Marine Corps married one child. I saw Mount Fuji and it's so powerful. That must be the heart of everything that is to the Japanese.

Speaker 3: 34:58

And then reading in the Olympic Village the book it was just an article the unwritten theme of the Olympic Games to the Japanese for their citizens born the day of the atomic bomb being dropped. And the young man that lit the torch was one of the people born the day of, about an hour away or so, either the day before or the day of about an hour away or so, either the day before or the day of, and he's chosen to light the torch. So the world will never forget. So I put all that together and came up with my lifetime pursuit unity through diversity local, national and global. Unity through diversity, local, national and global. And I've been blessed on that journey by sitting down with friends from throughout the world, all because of sport, all because of running, all because of the Olympic Games. And we say we may believe in a different creator, but hidden to all of us. That's the same creator. Hidden to all of us, that's the same creator. And you've allowed me, billy, to worship my creator, my terms, and I allow you to worship yours.

Speaker 1: 36:15

And we're all related that's so beautifully put and really, I think, encompasses the Olympic spirit to what it stands for. But, like a lot of things, you know, we, we I made this comment, uh, I mentioned to you earlier that I'd written the audio tour for Mount Rushmore and I really wanted it to be an honest audio tour about a lot of things, and one of the things that we said in it was that, you know, america's uh journey has been an upward journey, but not a straight upward journey. The great quote about the great arc of humanity bends towards justice. It bends towards justice, but it doesn't get there in a straight line. So thank you for all of that. And you actually led me into my next question, which was you touched down in oh, and I do want to mention that the Civil Rights Act was signed the day I was born, july 2nd 1964. So that actually means a little bit to me too. What was Tokyo like? The Olympic Village, your experience there off the track?

Speaker 3: 37:19

Tokyo, off the truck and even going into some of the little stores etc. Some of the restaurants. I saw people humbling themselves to honor their nation and to respect the visitor and to respect the United States of America. And in my mind and subconscious I saw our elders on the reservation doing that when I was growing up, just honoring the official that came from the US government, showing their respect and join the respect. Also, it led me to feel that I had to learn more about my Lakota culture because I identified with some of the emotions that Japanese people were going through, because I saw our elders doing that. So I was born in 1938.

Speaker 3: 38:28

I was born 70 years after my tribe left hunting and gathering and my white great-grandfather, bb Mills, was asked by Red Cloud when he surrendered. Was asked by Red Cloud when he surrendered, asked the US government if Phoebe Mills could become the first Indian agent on what is now the Red Cloud agency. The US government said no, he speaks from Lakota, he's married to a Lakota woman and he has Lakota children. It would be too hard to save the children by taking the indignness out of them, the virtues and values that I was being taught, for example, and he died. He worked at Fort Laramie.

Speaker 3: 39:16

At a fort in Fort Laramie, my grandmother, great-grandmother. With her, her five children were run out of the fort. They found their way, the Crazy Horses Band, three Indigenous leaders, one was Crow, one was Lakota, and I don't know all three, but Crazy Horse was the Lakota. They were still free, they had not surrendered. My grandmother with her five children was taken in by a crazy horse. So when crazy horse surrendered, they talk about this two-mile-long crazy horse in full regalia, the military in their uniforms, 300 warriors, men, women and children, then the supply train and how just powerful that image was. And the Crazy Horse ledger states walking in with Crazy Horse, the names of all the people. And there I find my great-grandmother. I don't know her Lakota name but Sally Bush Mills with her five children, the youngest, ben Mills, my grandfather. And it just that's what I know about my white ancestry and my Lakota ancestry and it makes me feel complete as a person.

Speaker 2: 40:40

Well, john is a history buff and he is just going to buzz about all of this and he's going to be digging deeper. I know you, john. You're going to be going back and learning as much as you can about this. I want to take you back to a very special day for you October 14th 1964. You're there in Tokyo at the start line of the 10,000 meter, and it's an amazing field. World record holder, the Australian Ron Clark, is there. You don't have a ton of experience at this distance, but you were going to win a gold medal. You said that years ago. So what's going through your mind at that moment?

Speaker 3: 41:24

Oh my gosh, the first thing I thought of as we lined up. I spotted Clark. Of course I was Jerry Lindgren and I read where it was the greatest field of distance runners ever assembled. And they were, I think, after the Games, including my gold medal. I think there were seven gold medalists in the race, maybe five and a number of world record holders. But I blacked out at a race in July of 1964 in New York and I'd find myself in the field. I went low blood sugar and some people around me and they said how do you feel now? And I said myself in the field. I went low blood sugar and some people around me and they said how do you feel now? And I said, did I finish? They said yes, you were with the pack. Then you just faltered but you finished and it frightened me so much.

Speaker 3: 42:15

The decathlon winner was placed on the team. So our neighbor on the Marine Corps base, don Jisey, won the decathlon. He calls his wife and his wife says well, we need to get our tickets and our lodging ready. I'm going to have Pat Mills' room with me. I'm going to ask her as soon as we hang up. So I arrive home telling Pat I'm worried about my health. I'm going to just focus on being a Marine and I'm going to have to let the dream go. And she said, Billy, I get to the room and she couldn't get it out. And she said we need to get my ticket, my lodging for the games, and of course I wasn't on the team. So I go to the bank and borrowed the money, gave her the check and she was thrilled.

Speaker 3: 43:06

But before she cashed it the next day I took the check back to the bank and said you know, I'm not going to the games and I go back home, find out she'd been crying all day. So I go on a 25-mile run. This is so cruel. Do I need her there to win? Can I win? Do I need her there to win? I can win, but I can't win if she's not there. So I go borrow the money, bring it back and give it to her. And I said, pat, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize how important it was for you to go to the Olympic Games. She said, billy, it's not important, but if you believe you can win, I know you cannot win unless I'm there. So I'm lining up and I'm 90 meters down. And she was 90 meters up. From the start to the finish 14 rows up, three seats in, so I knew exactly where she was. And the finish 14 rows up, three seats in, so I knew exactly where she was.

Speaker 3: 44:04

And the gun goes off and immediately I try to position myself and the first lap is over with. Then I see Clark going into the lead. So I joined Clark and then eventually there's four of us left Mohamed Gamoudi myself, ron Clark and Mamamoldi from Ethiopia. We crossed the 5,000 meters. I'm leading at the 5,000-meter point because the pace is too fast for me, so I take the lead to slow down. We're under world record pace at the time.

Speaker 3: 44:38

A slow, muddy track, and Clark takes the lead right away, but he starts to slow it and then two laps to go, mammo Wolde falls off I think it was Mammo Wolde and now there's three of us left. The pace is too fast for me. Again, I take the lead to slow down. Thought goes right past me and I'm into the race to the finish. Four days before the 10,000 meters I had 200 meters out of the blocks to see if the speed was ready. I had a German coach tie me and I shot across the track. Well, how fast. And he goes not too fast. I said what was my time. He said 23.3, but or start. If you know how to start, maybe 23.

Speaker 3: 45:30

I go yeah yeah, he said what event? I said the 10,000 meters in the marathon. He goes, oh very fast. So I'm lining up and thoughts before was my wife's there, I can win, I'm ready. And then those thoughts that occurred during the race and coming down. I'm going to continue with coming down the stretch. I look and I see a runner that we were lapping and I saw the eagle on his jersey. My dad would say, as a little boy, when I'm a little boy you do these things. Son, someday you're going to have wings of an eagle, the name of our book, the book on Billy Wings of an Eagle. Wings of an Eagle, I, Wings of an Eagle, I can win, I can win. Then I'm going to win, but I may not get to the finish line first, but I'm going to try to get to the finish line first, because I contradicted myself and the tape breaks across my chest.

Speaker 3: 46:26

An official came up and said who are you? And I go. Oh my God, did I miscount the laps? Do I have one more lap to go? He said finished, new Olympic champion. I find the runner that had the eagle. There was no eagle, it was just a perception. I needed to have the eagle there and the official said is there anything we can do for you? I said I want my wife Within moments. They're tapping her on the shoulder. And they said Mrs Mills, the new Olympic champion, requests his wife. Wow, she's there by me within moments and I'm crying. And I said I know what it meant. She said what meant I'm going to win, but I may not get to the finish line first. And she said well, what did it mean? I said I healed the broken soul and in the process, here it is 62 years, almost 60 years later. I'm still the only person from the western hemisphere to win that race. But that's so secondary yeah healing the broken soul.

Speaker 1: 47:28

It you know, and I highly recommend anyone to watch the video of that race because it is amazingly dramatic the fact that halfway through really there were only four to five people even in the mix, and then everything that occurred too. And the one thing that you didn't mention was on the backstretch, when Clark shoves you a couple of times, pushes you off the pace a little bit, and then Gamudi does the same thing, comes through both of you and pushes, and this is you can see this in the film. It's amazing. Um, at that point you you even said in an interview that I saw at one point you were in your mind I'm going to finish third. And then the German runner with the eagle that really wasn't there spurred you on and, honestly, your kick at the end of that. How anyone has that after 9,700 meters or however far, is absolutely remarkable, and you knocked 50 seconds off your best time ever.

Speaker 3: 48:35

Yeah, the 50 seconds. I'd go up on top of the stadium wherever I was, and I'd look at the track. And if you look around, that's a long ways around, so I would go. All I have to do each lap is improved that much and then do it twice. I can do that, but obviously don't unless you're ready. But that moment was a gift.

Speaker 3: 49:01

I truly felt that the energy to implement the kick going low blood sugar was a gift. So I wanted to give back and in the Lakota culture I took the virtue of the giveaway and met a man named Gene Kresek and together he had Christian Relief Services, a charity. Together we co-founded that, gene Kresek and I. The three of us co-founded Running Strong for American Indian Youth and placed it under Christian Relief Services and started giving back to the community and to people. That helped me to achieve a dream and heal a broken soul. So if the listener was interested, just go to indianyouthorg and you can find all you need about Running Strong. Look at our Dream Starters program. On the 50th anniversary I wanted to give it back to Indian youth, so we started our Dream Starters program, and all because of one moment in time winning the gold medal and realizing. I choreographed it, I orchestrated it, but I feel so deep in my soul that moment was a gift.

Speaker 2: 50:13

But I feel so deep in my soul that moment was a gift. You've talked about your visualization and your belief for everyday runners, for people who are going out there and they're not going to win an Olympic gold medal, but what they're doing matters to them. How much does believing you can achieve that matter? Do you think that made all the difference in your race?

Speaker 3: 50:31

Do you think that made all the difference in your race? I felt I reached the point where I felt I was given the ability to have one moment in time that could be magical to me and I had to believe that that was possible and that, as far as winning the gold medal, I put that responsibility on me and in my own prayers I would simply ask for that opportunity to reach within the depths of my capabilities and compete against myself to the greatest extent I was capable of, and if I could do that I won. If I could do that, I'd heal a broken soul. And I think you can put that into your everyday running, just pursuing the dream of a better, healthy, more healthy lifestyle, for example, and you can relate it in your world around your dreams and your aspirations.

Speaker 1: 51:31

Excellent advice, excellent advice. Okay, so your post-running career you've mentioned it. You broke a couple world records. You had some success over those remaining few months that you ran. We'll talk a little more about Running Strong, because I really want people to know about that. It is incredibly impressive. When did they come to you with the idea of making a movie of your experience? The film came out in 83. When did they approach you about it?

Speaker 3: 51:58

Well, so much of that is my wife. She called into the United States Olympic Committee in 1972 and wanted whatever photos they might have about me and the response to her was we do not have any photos on Billy. And she said you know, you've always told me one of your heroes is Jim Thorpe. I know you're no Jim Thorpe, the most closest thing you and Jim Thorpe have. You're both indigenous people and you're both athletes. But I don't want anybody to forget that moment in time. You created and I'm not going to let them forget you 72 games, 68 games, I think, 68, 72, up to Los Angeles, games where the commentators would say no American has ever won this event. And yet two medals are won.

Speaker 3: 53:04

I won the gold, louis Tuonema won the silver and Pat said look, I went some way to let America know. And Pat said I want some way to to let America know that there are indigenous people here and we were writing a book and the book was just going nowhere. We had a co-author and it was going nowhere. So Pat said I'm going to see if I can find anybody who would be interested in doing a movie. So she bought this book for $75 and was thumbing through it and ran across Ira Englander Englander Productions. We did educational films and she contacted him and he was doing some work with some of the tribes at the time and he said I would love to see if we could put together a story about Billy, because it wouldn't be Billy's story, it would be an indigenous story. So there came the movie Running Brain.

Speaker 2: 54:12

So you know you said Pat was very involved in the beginning. How involved were both of you as production went on? And I guess the question of that is, if yes, then you know how accurate was the movie. Were you pleased with the final result?

Speaker 3: 54:27

That's a question I was trying to avoid. Well, you can avoid it.

Speaker 2: 54:32

You are allowed to avoid it.

Speaker 3: 54:36

But it needs to be answered, it needs to be asked. It was extremely difficult. I wanted to tie in a little bit about, for example, the doctrine of discovery and the footprints I described earlier, and the industry was not ready for it. So I wanted, for example, a fictitious movie that could describe some of the different areas Indigenous people had to go through. You look at the Indigenous history first with genocide, then treaty signed, treaties broken, then relocating, then relocating under Eisenhower, relocating the Indian people off the land, taking the natural resources, the land, etc. And placing them into the cities. And then self-determination was what I would have called my Olympic games. The theme was self-determination. Then, following self-determination, was self-governance. So those are major issues that have addressed the simple concept of indigenous people and their sovereignty Because we have treaties. We're one of the few groups of people worldwide who have signed a treaty and accepted a conditional surrender, not an unconditional, and so I wanted to try to educate from that perspective. And then Hollywood, in a sense, although it was Canadian production was not ready for it. So the last I requested was at the end of the movie you list my brothers and sisters and say they've all become successful in their chosen fields and list the field they've gone into. That did not happen, so it brought a lot of uncomfort within my family. That still exists to an extent today. That still exists to an extent today.

Speaker 3: 56:35

That was the project of the book. Little Brown is the publishing company, or Hachette? I say Hachette, I don't pronounce it correctly, but the book is, I think, incredibly positive and SD Nelson, a Lak Lakota man, is the illustrator. So I can't wait for July 2nd when it's delivered to the stores and schools are purchasing it earlier because we were able to get a little bit more in the book than we wanted in the movie. In regards to unity through diversity and teaching a young mind, uh, the, the beauty of of culture, the beauty of diversity well, july 2nd, my 60th birthday, so I'll buy it for myself for a birthday present.

Speaker 1: 57:25

I I really, I really do look forward to, uh, to reading it, and um, that is sadly that is often the case with historical movies as well is the limits of time and, to your point, the limits of where people are culturally at the time to take on something like that. Plus, billy, your story really needs to be a miniseries, because two hours is not enough to cover all of the things that we could cover about this. All right, but I want to jump back into Running Strong for a moment, because I know that is a big, big part of your legacy. Once again, tell everyone what the mission is. I think it's so very, very important and I know it's very dear to you.

Speaker 3: 58:08

I have Running Strong for American Indian Youth. Running Strong for American Indian Youth became my giveaway In the Lakota culture. If you bring honor, maybe pride or respect to yourself and your culture, you have to give back. You have to thank the people that helped you. So we formed Running Strong for American Indian Youth to give back. We started with water. Possibly today on my reservation you can find some homes, but we'll still go to the creek and get the water to boil it. We've just about eliminated every home having to do that. Most homes now, almost all, but not all, have running water. So we go to the tribal chairman, joe American Horse, who I ran against in college. He went to Nebraska and she increased that gas. Joe American Horse, of the 10 needs of the tribe name one we might be able to help you with. All Joe American Horse said was water. So we started drilling water wells. Now we connect homes with the main waterline going across the reservation, but our connections are miles away. Organic garden projects, we built dialysis clinics, partnering with helping people find the sources to heat their home during the winter months, and the latest was on my 50th anniversary, winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games.

Speaker 3: 59:56

I wanted to get back to young American youth who had a dream. So we took 50 years, we took 10,000. We started giving grants to young Native American youth If they would co-partner with a nonprofit and submit a dream they had that could empower their community. We pick 10 a year for five years. $10,000 grants, 50 a year 50th anniversary, excuse me At the end of the five years we pick five and give them $50,000 grants. And we're now giving $20,000 grants to them every year and their dreams are just incredible.

Speaker 3: 1:00:49

One young lady was becoming a dentist, realized how few dentists there are in Indian country so she wanted to recruit Indian people to dentistry. She took the $10,000 grant, partnered with Stills University, put on a couple clinics, had young people come in and she recruited 10 people into dentistry and she's probably brought over 30 into dentistry. Others have broke off into other health fields, health-related fields. One young boy, totally disabled, a waist down downhill skier, injured in a car accident, he wanted to help empower at the age of 16, to help empower other Indian people who were disabled, provide a more quality lifestyle. He became one of our dream starters. Today he has his own nonprofit, graduated from college, plays basketball and is one of the All-Americans in his wheelchair division, and that just goes on and on with these incredible dreams that the young people have, and it gives me an opportunity to give back the virtue of a giveaway.

Speaker 2: 1:02:04

It's truly remarkable and I hope that people listening understand when you're talking about overcoming these things. You're talking about people having to walk to get water. That's here in America. That's something that's unfathomable to so many of us, and I think that there's still so much work to be done, and awareness is a step in that work. So by you just being on here, we're able to do that. So you guys, please find out more about Running Strong. Please learn more about things where we can grow and support here in our own country. To kind of get close to wrapping, when we look at your career and your accolades you're in the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. You've received the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Theodore Roosevelt Award. Yes, you even got a gold medal in Tokyo. What are you proudest of in your life and your career, whether that's running or outside?

Speaker 3: 1:03:03

I would say two things, and they both are more of the humanitarian to me. Humanitarian to me winning the Anti-Defamation Award from the Anti-Defamation League for addressing hate, and earning my Lakota name by my tribe for the humanitarian deeds that I've done. But I earned the name Amakosha Teikahila, which means loves your country, more traditionally, respects the earth, and I was told, if I respect Mother Earth and respect other people, it'll bring tranquility to me, a peace of mind. So I've tried to follow the Lakota virtues and values. I've sat down with other people and compared virtues and values. I've tried to learn to speak in other people's world to better understand them and they would better understand me. So I'll share this final comment with you that some might find of value Muhammad Ghamoudi. He beat me in Belgium at the World Military Championships and we bonded. He said all you need, billy, is more speed. I practiced speed for a year when I won in Tokyo. He said Billy is more speed. I practiced speed for a year when I won in Tokyo. He said Billy, too much speed. We're together and he's Arabic. We were in Tokyo in 2012 at the Olympic Games.

Speaker 3: 1:04:52

I met his wife and Nadia, their daughter, in Los Angeles. She was attending UCLA and studying advanced English in March of 2012. And we agreed. I was so nervous to meet her and I told her daughters have known about your father since they were little girls. And she said I've known about you, billy, since I was a little girl and we felt like family. So we're in London 2012.

Speaker 3: 1:05:28

Muhammad and I, his wife, my wife, our daughter Christy and he said his daughter, interpreting. He wanted to tell me that when I went in Tokyo, he was so, so happy for me and I said, muhammad, how could you be happy? I beat you? He goes, no, no, goes, no, no, no, you didn't beat me, you won. He said anybody who won in your manner, billy, it had to be, and he goes. That was your moment. So I said something like, because I was emotional, it was like a gift and he nods his head. I said that moment you're saying was a gift to me from Allah, speaking in his world. He said yes, yes, and in your world maybe you're Native American spirituality and maybe Jesus. He said you and I, we can bond and we can respect each other in all ways. Basically, and Muhammad is like a brother to me and his daughter. We love the family, we've sat down with other people and just compared virtues and values to bond, so we can gently, respectfully discuss our differences to make the world a better place.

Speaker 1: 1:07:00

That's fabulous and thank you. Thank you for all of that and thank you for spending some time with us. It's been a big thrill for me. I think you know I've always said live a worthy life and your life has been just such a worthy life, both overcoming the things that you've had to overcome and then, as you said, the payback that you've given since you were given that gift in October of 1964. Really cannot thank you enough, billy Mills. Continued success in your life, continue doing the things that you're doing, because you really are someone. You're a great American, billy, and a great person, and really, really appreciate you spending some time with us.

Speaker 3: 1:07:46

Thank you. Thank you, I appreciate that.

Speaker 2: 1:07:49

Well, thank you, billy. And then please have, pat, let us know when the book is out and how we can share with our audience how they can take a look at it. I will make sure that I have one as well. John's apparently getting his own birthday gift, but I will make sure that Elliot and Claire have them.

Speaker 1: 1:08:03

It's my 60th. It's my 60th birthday. I deserve it. Have them as well.

Speaker 2: 1:08:08

So, thank you.

Speaker 3: 1:08:10

All right athletes here.

Speaker 2: 1:08:11

So thank you. All right, athletes, here's the drill Time to shape up your diet, carissa, give them the goods. All right, john, that was an amazing interview and I don't even feel worthy of continuing on. I just want to. I think we should end it there, but we have a formula. Sarge has spoken. We've got to move on. Let's talk about trying new things, because if Billy let us know anything, it's to expand our minds and not stick with the constraints that maybe we grew up in. So let's talk about fruit, john. What fruit is in your house right now?

Speaker 1: 1:08:43

We have blackberries, lemons, bananas, tomatoes, everyone. We've talked about this and we have. We always have a reserve bag of frozen fruit that's usually blueberries, raspberries, cherries just in case we run out of any fresh fruit or if it goes bad. So that's pretty much what I have right now.

Speaker 2: 1:09:05

Okay, what is the last new fruit that you tried?

Speaker 1: 1:09:10

That is a really difficult question, because I love fruit. And as you know I'm not really a dessert guy, but most of the desserts I like, tiramisu notwithstanding, are fruit desserts. So I cannot tell you the last time.

Speaker 2: 1:09:23

So when I was little we would go to the grocery store and my mom would let me pick. I could pick one new fruit or vegetable. It doesn't necessarily have to be new, but like that was what I could pick at the store. I wasn't picking cookies. That was where I could have some fun. So I kind of grew up trying a lot of different fruits and vegetables and so my point of all this is to nudge you guys to try new fruits and vegetables. We love the berries, we love the bananas, we love the apples, the pears. They've all got great things they do for our bodies. But when we diversify we're getting in more vitamins and nutrients, different types of antioxidants, different types of polyphenols, which you guys have heard of here on the podcast. So today's nudge is for the kiwi fruit. How does that rank on your list?

Speaker 1: 1:10:03

I love kiwi. We often have kiwi Big, big fan of the kiwi.

Speaker 2: 1:10:08

All right, do you cut it in half and do the spoon out, or do you cut all the way? Because you can just cut it in half and spoon it out. You don't have to get the flesh off.

Speaker 1: 1:10:15

I usually just I'll either peel the flesh off and cut it into slices, and I've done the spoon out as well. Normally it's cut into slices because I do a lot of Greek yogurt with fruit, with my Greek yogurt, so it's just a little easier to consume that way.

Speaker 2: 1:10:31

So we're here in Florida. But this is my nudge to you guys Maybe try the kiwi fruit. It has more vitamin C than oranges, Oranges, get all the love for vitamin C. Bananas get all the love for potassium. I have already shunned bananas plenty of times on this podcast Banana people not knocking down our door for sponsorship, but I do too. But other things have more potassium, just like other things have more vitamin C. So one medium kiwi fruit is going to give you about 71 milligrams of vitamin C, which is more than your daily recommended intake Vitamin C. We know it for immune support, but it's also good for collagen synthesis. So, ladies, there you go. It's an antioxidant and it's relatively affordable for collagen synthesis. So, ladies, there you go. It's an antioxidant and it's relatively affordable as a fruit. So next time, consider reaching for the kiwi.

Speaker 2: 1:11:19

And if you want to reach those health goals, consider Healthier you 12-week web-based course that I lead. It opens up three weeks at a time with different modules, so you can learn it at your own pace. You have a year to access, to go back and relearn, and then we've also got monthly seminars where you get to have chats with me, ask your questions. We've got different speakers, we're going to be doing budget-friendly meals for May, so if that's something you want to talk about, budget healthy, put it all together. Go to gallowaycoursecom to enroll in Healthier you and use the code podcast to save a little money. Athletes, listen up. It's mail call time. Announcer 3, present.

Speaker 1: 1:12:01

All right, thank you, sarge. This question comes from Amanda and it's a question for me, carissa, so you should really be reading the question.

Speaker 2: 1:12:08

Do you want me to read the question? No, I can read it, sure Sure, please read the question.

Speaker 1: 1:12:10

No, I can read it Sure. Please read the question.

Speaker 2: 1:12:12

You have to start mailbag because Sarge asked announcer three to present, so semantics got it. I can take it over. Amanda would like to know John, what do you do? What do you do in the summer months when there's no run Disney? Amanda says I know Carissa is at Ironman, but where can we find you besides doing yard work?

Speaker 1: 1:12:35

Well, thank you for the question, amanda, and thank you for inquiring, and I do do an awful lot of yard work, though. I just try to break it up into one small thing.

Speaker 2: 1:12:43

You just talk about it a lot.

Speaker 1: 1:12:44

Like I talk about.

Speaker 2: 1:12:45

Christmas you talk about yard work.

Speaker 1: 1:12:46

It occupies a lot of my time and you would think my yard would look better, but it doesn't. It's a little, it's not a huge.

Speaker 2: 1:12:57

you make it seem like you have like a three acre lot. No, no, no, it's like, it's like a quarter acre, it's like a quarter acre do you have a riding lawnmower.

Speaker 1: 1:13:01

Uh, I do not.

Speaker 1: 1:13:01

I used to when my father passed away, I took I had his riding lawnmower for a while, but now I have one that I an older lawnmower. We're actually looking into a lawnmower purchase, so if any of listeners have any recommendations for an affordable lawnmower purchase, I still work at Universal Studios at the Horror Makeup Show infrequently, but pick up some hours there summertime, obviously with extended hours as a seasonal. That's when I pick up most of that. I do other event work. I have some corporate 5Ks that I'm doing throughout the whole year, but there are a couple here and there A little warm to be running in July and August here, but normally they're like six o'clock in the morning, so it's probably as good a time as any.

Speaker 2: 1:13:48

Just a good old bit of humidity, that's all.

Speaker 1: 1:13:50

Yeah, and I do some other stuff. I flew out to des moines last year I think we talked about this on the podcast when I was pickleball man one of the zany characters that you can find me doing from time to time and I do some writing projects and look for work now. I will say this year, though, amanda, since you've asked uh, it is my friend, um, our friend, my wife and my friendan. It is her 50th birthday. It will be my 60th birthday in July, or 50th, and we're going to. We're renting a house with four other couples in Tuscany for a couple of weeks, so I'll be in Italy for a couple of weeks.

Speaker 1: 1:14:24

I often that's also time when I go and see my mom in Pennsylvania, so do my best to keep busy, but it is a slower time. Every now and again, as you know, carissa, something will pop up at the ESPN Wide World of Sports that might need an announcer, so I fill it in whenever I can, though it is my least busy period. But here's some good news for my yard work situation. My wife says, since we're going to be gone for two weeks in July, we can get somebody to do the yard works for the whole month of July.

Speaker 2: 1:14:56

What a birthday present for you. And then I also have it on Good Authority. You'll be at St Pete Run Fest in the beginning, fourth of July. Yeah, thank you for reminding me Fourth of.

Speaker 1: 1:15:01

July St Pete Run Fest. If you really want to get off and get out and sweat off 12 to 15 pounds on the 4th of July at St Pete, we have a lot of fun. There's also a pie eating contest. Not sure which is less appealing to me in the super July heat running or eating a pie outside, not using my hands.

Speaker 2: 1:15:24

Well, Track Shack has the watermelon eating contest, so we are jumping a little bit far ahead.

Speaker 2: 1:15:28

Although I can't believe we're already in April, as we're taping this. I think this will come out in May, so we're practically there. Well, thank you, amanda, for the question. We'd love your questions. Questions stories we always try to feature one at the end of the podcast. You can send them to us at 321gopodcast at gmailcom or you can send them to me on Instagram. Don't send them to John on Instagram or you can send them to 321GO podcast On our Instagram. John has raised his hand for a final thought on today's episode.

Speaker 1: 1:15:57

I just want to say for the record this is going to come out after it happened, but this will be just a little inside baseball for everybody. I have committed to the 10K. I have a bib for the 10K. This is like an.

Speaker 2: 1:16:10

Easter egg, so we're just going to keep this going on. I texted Mark today and I said please tell me that you are getting John a bib, and I guess I didn't know that it had just happened, but I had been thinking about it. Like John is going to do this. Mark, Don't drop the ball.

Speaker 1: 1:16:25

Well, I will say I've been having some physical issues. I've been a little bit with my knees. I've got physical issues. I've had a little bit with my knees. I've got a back and side thing that I'm kind of working through. So my training has kind of fallen apart a little here.

Speaker 2: 1:16:36

This is going to air, and we're already going to know if you did it or not.

Speaker 1: 1:16:39

I know, so I'm just throwing this out there to everybody. So Mark actually reached out to me, more than likely after he spoke to you and said hey, doctor, as he always calls me, despite my lack of a doctorate of any sort what are your thoughts on the 10K Bambin, are you going to do it? And I said yes because I figured if I said no you'd call my wife and then there'd be that whole thing and I'd be forced to do it anyway. So I have committed to it, chris, nikic.

Speaker 1: 1:17:08

Then I know this again comes out afterwards, but I am committed to it. We will now, once this is released if Weston keeps it in, it'll be interesting. We'll have to address whether or not I was able to finish. Fingers crossed, I feel pretty good about it.

Speaker 2: 1:17:21

Yeah, we can just really confuse people. We can address it in the chat and then we'll go to the end of this and then we'll talking maybe Don Don's probably the only one still listening at this point we'll address it and readdress it. But I'm excited for that. I'm excited to know what you guys think about this episode. I think it's a little bit different than one we've done before and a man that people don't know a lot about, and I hope that you guys have learned something that you will pass on and just kind of continue those good vibes and awareness of the fact that we should all be more tolerant, more understanding and more accepting of all humans.

Speaker 1: 1:17:52

And diversity is our strength, and Billy made that point over and over again, and I think that's an important one and one that we certainly promote here. On 321GO.

Speaker 2: 1:18:00

That's right. Well, thank you guys for listening. Have a great day. See you real soon. Bye-bye. 3, 2, 1, GO.