Jim Thorpe wins Olympic gold wearing track shoes found in garbage bin

Jim Thorpe stands tall, hands resting on his hips, the veins of his toned muscular body bulging. His body, tense from competition, seems almost out of place for the athletes of the time who have more scrawnier physiques. In his square face are calm, but piercing eyes, eyes that reflect the chiseled demeanor of a man who has seen much turmoil in his life. On his feet are mismatched track shoes and mismatched socks.

It’s the 1912 summer Olympics in Stockholm. Jim, a Native American from Oklahoma, is representing the U.S. in four track and field events, the most important of which is the decathlon. The decathlon, a set of ten events made up of sprints, jumps, throws, hurdles, vaults, and a distance run, determines the greatest athlete in the world.

Sport has always been an important part of Jim’s life. He swam and rode horses by age three. And in his teen years, Jim, who by that time had lost his parents and his brother to death by varying natural causes, was the star football player of his small college for Native Americans. He led them to a National Championship, twice.

“I was never content unless I was trying my skill in some game against my fellow playmates or testing my endurance and wits against some member of the animal kingdom,” he said.