Reflection on Billy Mills

Billy Mills, as a young man, experienced a great change in his life being born in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and being the first of his family to go to college. It all began when a coach saw his potential at a race in Custer County High school, in which he over passed the current state record, and took him to be part of the Kansas University race team. His journey had just begun. All the vivid memories he left behind in search for his dream constantly overtook his thoughts as he was on his way to campus. As part of his internal journey, Billy had flashbacks about his childhood. He remembered Frank, whom had taught him to run, and the inspiration his father gave him before dying. And as he deeply expressed: “Frank told me what to do with my legs; my dad told me what to do with my heart.”

As we can see throughout the film Running Brave, his external journey consisted mostly on the way he related to different people, and his encounter with modern-city life. Many of them at first sight judged him for being Indian and not “white”; all except for a girl he had met in a party. “Everything is different from home”, he said. Billy suffered from bully and was treated inferior after revealing his identity. Though, he was strong enough to know what he wanted and not be affected by people’s offenses toward him. In a letter to his sister, Billy let the audience know that he wanted his family to be proud of him, for that he decided to work harder every day. Billy had realized his talents and embraced his uniqueness in order to reach success, winning the race. Both his internal and external journeys helped him become a strong, admirable leader. All the knowledge gained through his studies, especially in his new journey, he used them to help others. Billy Mills was, and still is an inspiration by acquiring traits of an honorable person.