Ryun was the most outstanding middle distance runner of his time. In 1966, at age nineteen, he set world records in the mile and the half-mile runs, and received Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award, as well as the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete, the ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year, and was voted Track & Field News' Athlete of the Year as the world’s best track & field athlete. ESPN.com has him rated as the number 1 high school athlete of all time, beating out people such as Tiger Woods and LeBron James.
Ryun opened the evening by sharing photos and stories of his visit with Louis Zamperinin. Ryun showed pictures from when he and his wife Anne met with Louis and pictures of Zamperini’s running medals and Olympic torches. Ryun laughed about how the 96 year-old Louis skipped his afternoon nap because he was having so much fun visiting with Jim and Anne. Jim remarked on how energetic Louis remains even at his age. Ryun spoke glowingly about Unbroken and what a great book it is and encouraged everyone in the audience to read it.
Perhaps the most fascinating part of the presentation was when Ryun talked about his own Olympic experiences. He traveled to Tokyo in 1964 as a wide-eyed 17 year old. Ryun was not yet ready to compete well at that level, but he had a great experience with the culture and the people of Japan. This presented an interesting contrast to the experiences of Louis Zamperini in Japanese prison camps only two decades earlier. Jim pointed out that those Olympics certainly helped the healing process as the United States and Japan were beginning to become allies.
In 1968 the Olympics were held in Mexico City, roughly 8000 feet above sea level. Although Jim Ryun was considered the favorite, he had to “settle” for the silver. One of the most thrilling moments of the evening was when he showed the audience his medal.
Ryun’s stories about the 1972 Olympics in Munich were very moving for two reasons. First, Ryun was tripped by another runner and fell in the semi-finals, even though he was again favored for a medal. The fact that he was not allowed to advance remains to this day one of the most controversial decisions in Olympic history. Even more infamously, those games were marred by the Black September terrorist group. Both Jim and Anne Ryun talked about what it was like to be present at those events, and, like Louis Zamperini, what it has been like to move on in life with a spirit of forgiveness.
Another exciting moment for the audience came toward the end. Ryun showed an ABC Wide World of Sports video from his world record mile race in 1966. Even though the race happened almost 50 years ago, the members of the audience were still on the edge their seats watching the race, even letting out a cheer at the end of the race.
Afterward, Jim and Anne spent over 90 minutes meeting people, signing books and magazine covers, and taking pictures. Having an Olympian at the library, especially one who is so down-to-earth and engaging, was a terrific way to cap off TTOB for 2013.
Ryun opened the evening by sharing photos and stories of his visit with Louis Zamperinin. Ryun showed pictures from when he and his wife Anne met with Louis and pictures of Zamperini’s running medals and Olympic torches. Ryun laughed about how the 96 year-old Louis skipped his afternoon nap because he was having so much fun visiting with Jim and Anne. Jim remarked on how energetic Louis remains even at his age. Ryun spoke glowingly about Unbroken and what a great book it is and encouraged everyone in the audience to read it.
Perhaps the most fascinating part of the presentation was when Ryun talked about his own Olympic experiences. He traveled to Tokyo in 1964 as a wide-eyed 17 year old. Ryun was not yet ready to compete well at that level, but he had a great experience with the culture and the people of Japan. This presented an interesting contrast to the experiences of Louis Zamperini in Japanese prison camps only two decades earlier. Jim pointed out that those Olympics certainly helped the healing process as the United States and Japan were beginning to become allies.
In 1968 the Olympics were held in Mexico City, roughly 8000 feet above sea level. Although Jim Ryun was considered the favorite, he had to “settle” for the silver. One of the most thrilling moments of the evening was when he showed the audience his medal.
Ryun’s stories about the 1972 Olympics in Munich were very moving for two reasons. First, Ryun was tripped by another runner and fell in the semi-finals, even though he was again favored for a medal. The fact that he was not allowed to advance remains to this day one of the most controversial decisions in Olympic history. Even more infamously, those games were marred by the Black September terrorist group. Both Jim and Anne Ryun talked about what it was like to be present at those events, and, like Louis Zamperini, what it has been like to move on in life with a spirit of forgiveness.
Another exciting moment for the audience came toward the end. Ryun showed an ABC Wide World of Sports video from his world record mile race in 1966. Even though the race happened almost 50 years ago, the members of the audience were still on the edge their seats watching the race, even letting out a cheer at the end of the race.
Afterward, Jim and Anne spent over 90 minutes meeting people, signing books and magazine covers, and taking pictures. Having an Olympian at the library, especially one who is so down-to-earth and engaging, was a terrific way to cap off TTOB for 2013.
