Wings of an eagle carry Mills through life

Olympian Billy Mills, left, shakes hands with local resident Bob Marshall, who attended Mills’ speaking event Wednesday at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center. Marshall, who also attended the University of Kansas, was present at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo in which Mills won a gold medal in the 10,000-meter race.

It’s not everyday that an Olympian Gold medalist visits town, but that’s exactly what happened April 12 when Billy Mills, who won the 10,000-meter race in the 1964 Olympic games, shared his story in Fort Scott.

Mills’ visit was made possible by a grant from the Freedoms’ Frontier National Heritage Area. The 84-year-old Mills, who has ties to Kansas, spoke at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, as well as the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.

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