A FORMER OLYMPIAN AND A RACE IN HIS HONOR

October 22, 2026

A famous Olympian was honored on Sunday at a race in Lawrence.  I was inspired and here is the story.  Before I give those details, let me share a couple of ideas that kept me moving.  They come from a class I am taking at church, “Base Camp:  Prepare for the Journey.”  Two things have stuck with me, among others—the idea of using phrases from the Bible in prayer—for myself and others.  The other is the idea of memorizing scripture, with tips to help with memorization.

As you may know, since I haven’t been able to keep quiet about it, I got into the London Marathon which takes place next April 25, 2027.  A lot of people wanted in—some 1.2 million—and we all know I got in because of my speed.  Not!  The reason behind it all is that this is the idea of my dear daughter, Laura, who asked if I wanted to do it and then sent in our registrations.  And she’s planning the trip.  There will be Laura and Don, from Tucson, and Kristy, Don’s daughter who lives in Wichita.  Rebecca will be at home cheering and praying for us—she’s good at that!  I have felt from the time God opened the door for me to run the Disney Marathon in 1999 that it’s been His thing, so to speak, and He has made this possible.  That’s the ultimate reason and I want to honor Him in my participation in London.

A race in Lawrence this past Sunday, October 18, was the first of three races I have in mind to steer me toward being prepared for London.

The race was the Billy Mills 10K held on the beautiful running trail at Haskell Indian Nation University.

The race begins.

Here’s a little about the race and Billy Mills which I gleaned from online sources, and from J. Jenkins at Ad Astra Running Store who sponsored the race.

I love this intro to the race from LetsDoThis.com —"Step into the running shoes of a champion at the iconic 6.2-mile run/walk on the celebrated ‘Billy Mills Trail,’ where the spirit of the Olympic legend fuels every step! This event promises a well-maintained and secure course at Haskell Indian Nations University, perfect for walkers and runners of all levels.”

William Mervin Mills was born June 30, 1938, in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and was raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.  He was orphaned when he was 12.  He started running when he attended Haskell Institute, now Haskell Indian Nation University.  After graduating from the University of Kansas in 1962 with a degree in physical education, he entered the United States Marine Corps.  He was a first lieutenant in the reserve when he competed in the 1964 Olympics.

I read that according to some sources Mills never owned his own pair of new shoes until the night before the Olympic Games.

To read of his winning the 10,000 meters is inspiring.  His victory in 1964 is considered one of the greatest Olympic upsets because he was a virtual unknown going into the event.  No other American has won the gold for the 10,000 meters.  At our race Sunday, we were told that a foghorn would blow when it was Mills’ time for his Olympic race, 28:24:4, and we would hear it out on the trail and not to be alarmed.  Sure enough, I heard it and it made me pause to think of how exciting for all those watching him come from behind to win.

At the end of this blog is a link to a very inspiring 3-minute video of Billy Mills’ race.  It’s worth your time to click and watch.

Adjunct professor at Washburn University finished just ahead of me.

So, as I ran, I looked at phrases from Ephesians 1, which I had printed out before I left.  There is a familiar story of Jesus talking about the sower who went out to sow some seed and there were different kinds of soil.  The seed in the fertile soil which received His word readily produced a massive harvest—yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown.

I love to look at the seal on the framed diploma I have in my dining room.  It’s the diploma from my husband that he got from the University of Oklahoma.  Their seal shows the sower with his bag of seeds, tossing them into the furrows, thus depicting the sowing of seed at the university that brings a harvest—as long as the soil receives it!

I repeated phrases, or sometimes just words, as I ran.  I did some phrases in forms of prayers— “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Other phrases I just mulled over as I put one foot in front of the other, some deep thoughts that will take time to fully comprehend — “For He chose us in him before the creation of the world . . .”  That intrigues me.

The course was beautiful and I enjoyed the trees and flowers as I ran and the clear blue sky.  Imagine this—no wind!    There were runners of all ages and abilities.  Careful planning left us with no doubt as to where to turn as we made our way around the 6.2-mile loop.

Crossing the finish line and being awarded first place in my age group (75 to 99) gave me the push I need to keep on going.

Enjoy this short video of Billy Mills’ Olympic finish!

My thanks to Gene Wee of runLawrence for the photos.