Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills honored at Corn Palace on Wednesday

By Mitchell Now January 25, 2024 6:13 am

One of the Famous South Dakotans depicted on the exterior of the Corn Palace made a stop in Mitchell yesterday. Billy Mills, who is the only American to ever win the 10,000-meter race in the Olympics, was honored in a ceremony yesterday morning. The 85-year old Mills, who is from Pine Ridge and now resides in Sacramento, California, talked about how his father instilled hope in him at a young age. Mills also talked about unity and challenged the audience to determine the difference between truth and honesty.

Mills won his gold medal at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Corn Palace Director Doug Greenway presented a plaque to Mills, and Mitchell Mayor Bob Everson gave Mills a key to the city.

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