Billy Mills

Billy Mills's life story was dramatized in the 1983 film Running Brave. Starring Robby Benson as Mills, the movie is a powerful statement not only about Mills's Olympic achievement, but also the effects of racism on Native Americans. In CultureDose.com, John Nesbit wrote, "There really is a special feeling, a sense of pride that occurs within Native Americans when one of their own succeeds in the white world, and Running Brave captures this well."

The film opens at a high school track meet, where Mills's performance impresses white University of Kansas coach Bill Easton. When Mills accepts the track scholarship Easton offers, he finds himself isolated and uprooted on the predominantly white campus. Mills relies on his own inner sense of pride and the will to achieve to get through this tough time.

As Mills moves on to compete and win in the Olympic 10,000 meters, the film accurately depicts the race and its outcome; as Nesbit wrote, "even the incredible final finish mirrors archive footage."