Profiles in Leadership: Billy Mills

In a recent class, several of my students admitted they had not heard the story of Billy Mills (okay, all of them). Mills, who is one of my heroes, is someone every KU student should know about- not only because his story is so inspirational- but also because his story says so much about who we are and what we can accomplish.

Without going into a full biography of Billy Mills, which you can read here, I'll just offer a few of his quotations. The first is one he found in a psychology textbook when he was a student at KU. It said that "the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between reality or imagination." It was that simple message that initiated his vision of winning an Olympic gold medal. Another quotation attributed to Mills is the following:

"Every Passion has its Destiny."

This is something to keep in mind as you develop your own goals and set your own vision. Your will to prepare will help determine your own destiny and whether or not your passion is ultimately realized.

Finally, in response to his winning the 1964 Olympic 10,000 meter gold medal (he remains the only American ever to win the event), in what many consider the greatest Olympic upset in history, Mills simply said this:

"To me it was never an upset. I got myself into great shape, I went over there to win the race, and I did it."

In other words, winning became a self-fulfilling prophecy, as Mills' vision was realized in Tokyo. If you've never seen footage of the race, you absolutely must watch it.

First 5k

I remember my first 5k- I was 10 years old, and my childhood friend/rival (he came from a big Mizzou family) called me at 6am one Saturday, basically to dare me to run a 5k he was doing that morning with his mom. Naturally, I begged my mom and dad to take me, only to get beat by one second. The frustration of that loss probably fueled my entire running career.

So I didn't take it lightly when my oldest daughter, Sydney, asked to do the "Hilltop Hustle", a benefit for her child development center, with me this year. Since I still try to be competitive, I've been fortunate to win this particular 5k a few times- my favorite moment coming the year that Sydney (only 2 at the time) broke away from her mom to run after me at the finish- we crossed the line together, sharing the thrill of victory.

Now at age 4, she'll be going into kindergarten next fall, so she's in her last year of preschool at Hilltop. Frankly, I thought this was the perfect first 5k for her to try. Plus, I reasoned, once she tried and failed, it would give her a greater appreciation for the accomplishment once she was old enough to actually finish the entire distance. I figured the biggest challenge would be holding her interest, assuming she would want to go home after a mile or two.

Well, surprise surprise. Sydney was geared up and ready to go, running the first 3/4 of a mile before slowing to a walk. She then ran off and on, pointing out familiar landmarks on the KU campus ("There's Phog Allen's statue dad- is that really him?"). I almost lost her to the Chi-O fountain, filled with soap bubbles, but after multiple offers to stop and go home, she said she wanted to finish- even quoting a favorite storybook character, Madeline, from a recent movie who said "I can do anything."

She did, sprinting down the stretch after spotting her mom, sister Sophia and schoolmates, and once again, we crossed the finish line together. It took about one-hour, but she did it all herself. And she has the medal, and the memories, to prove it.

It's Chicago!

Today, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) selected Chicago over Los Angeles to be the U.S. entry in the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) bid process for the 2016 Olympic Games. The official bid launches September 15, 2007 and the host city will be determined in October 2009 from among the most likely candidates: Madrid, Tokyo, Rio deJaneiro, Rome, Prague and Chicago.

This is great win for a great sports city. L.A., which held the Olympics in 1932 and 1984, would have brought a new style of glitz and glamour to the games, still struggling to keep commercialism at arms length since the 84 games turned a profit and bribery scandals (linked the bid process) ensued.

Meanwhile, Chicago, known as a hardworking city- "the city that works"- with midwestern values, will bring a renewed spirit of ingenuity, integrity and sportsmanship to the games. The city's diverse, rich culture and proud tradition make it the best choice for the U.S., which will have gone 20 years since hosting the centennial games in 1996. Also, Chicago's plan for new facilities tied to urban development- including a "temporary" Olympic Stadium that will be converted to park land after the games- will help Chicago win the bid.

No South American or African city has ever hosted the games, but even though Rio may be the sentimental favorite, it will be overburdened hosting the 2014 World Cup. Meanwhile, Africa is expected to take its time presenting a solid bid for 2020, making 2016 America's best shot in years. Every American should be excited about the prospect of the Olympics coming to the heart of America.

I worked in Chicago from 1997-98 at Leo Burnett and lived just a block away from Wrigley, spending most of my summer nights with a hot dog and an Old Style in the bleachers. Despite that fact, my marathon p.r. was set in Chicago (2:46). Besides Chicago's world class sports, with the Magnificent mile, Sears tower, Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium, there's always something to do- and the "El" makes it so convenient to get around.

I think it's great that the world may get a chance to experience an American Olympic Games in one of its greatest cities- Chicago. You can bet I'll be there.