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CULTURAL THURSDAY AT PASADENA SENIOR CENTER JUNE 6: NATIVE AMERICAN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL RUNNER WILL SHARE HIS STORY

Billy Mills, the legendary Olympic gold-medal runner with a come-from-behind victory in the 10,000-meter race at the 1964 Olympic games, will share his story Thursday, June 6, at 2 p.m. via Zoom, presented by the Pasadena Senior Center as part of its Cultural Thursdays series.

He also will read excerpts from his new illustrated children’s book Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills, co-authored by Donna Janell Bowman and scheduled for release in July.

Beginning with his humble childhood on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation as a member of South Dakota’s Oglala Lakota tribe, Mills persevered through the early loss of his mother and learned from his father and others that the pursuit of a dream heals broken wings.

Coming from relative obscurity, he ran competitively at Haskell Indian Nations University and was a three-time NCAA All American cross-country runner at the University of Kansas on an athletic scholarship. At the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964, he won a gold medal in the 10,000-meter run, which, at 6.2 miles, is the longest Olympic track and field foot race. At the time, he set a world record of 28 minutes, 24.4 seconds and remains the only American to ever win a gold medal in that race.

As part of his efforts to give back to his Lakota culture, he cofounded Running Strong for American Indian Youth, a foundation that, through running and other sports, helps Native American teenagers and young adults reach their full potential while trying to reverse generational poverty and meet the needs of families in remote areas of reservations.

Mills was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1976 and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1984. He received the President's Council on Physical Fitness Lifetime Achievement Award from Barack Obama in 2015.

The event is free to PSC members and only $5 for nonmembers. To register or for more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Lectures & Classes, then Cultural Thursdays or call 626-795-4331.

The Pasadena Senior Center’s mission is to improve the lives of older adults through caring service with opportunities for social interaction, fitness programs, basic support and needs services, education, volunteerism and community activism. With 10,000 Americans per day becoming older adults, the center is a leader in addressing the issues of aging and provides innovative, cutting-edge, nationally recognized programs for this population group.

As a donor-supported nonprofit, the center operates without any local, state or federal funding and provides more services to older adults in the San Gabriel Valley than any other organization. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. To learn more, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org or call 626-795-4331. The Center is located at 85 E. Holly Street in Pasadena.