Chasing Excellence: The Remarkable Life and Inspiring Vigilosophy of Coach Joe I. Vigil. Este artículo no está disponible.Chasing Excellence: The Remarkable Life and Inspiring Vigilosophy of Coach Joe I. Vigil

Dr. Joe I. Vigil—known simply as “Coach” to virtually everybody he has ever met—rose from poverty to become a towering figure in the running world. Coach has won 19 national championships and coached 425 All-Americans, 22 Olympians…and an army of “Vigilantes” who seek to emulate his unique blend of compassion, competitive spirit, and commitment to others.In this long-overdue biography about America’s preeminent distance-running coach, author and Vigilante Pat Melgares shares Coach Vigil’s tale not just through the consummate storyteller’s own words but also through those of more than 50 family members, friends, former runners, and foes who have been shaped by his presence over a lifetime.Coach Vigil is driven by a persistent desire to learn, a deep faith in people, and an unwavering loyalty to his hometown of Alamosa, Colorado. His life is an American dream—a must-read for anyone who loves an underdog or seeks to understand the timeless qualities that forge a leader. “Chasing Excellence” has been Coach Vigil’s mantra for decades, for himself and those he teaches. At age 90, he’s as relentless as ever in that quest.

Pat Melgares was born in Alamosa, Colorado, in 1967 and was raised on the south side of town just three blocks from where Joe I. Vigil grew up. Like Vigil, Pat graduated from Alamosa High School and Adams State College, and was a four-time All-American in cross country and track and field while running for Vigil from 1985 to 1989. Pat was also a member of four NAIA cross country championship teams and two The Athletics Congress (TAC) junior cross country championship teams. At Adams State, Pat studied journalism and began his career as sports editor of the hometown Valley Courier. He advanced to editor of that newspaper before landing the job as public information officer at Adams State in 1994. Since 1998, he has been a communications specialist and public information officer at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Pat had the unique experience of watching Vigil's Adams State teams as a small child, and many of the athletes who competed for Vigil in the 1970s and early 1980s became his running idols. None of them loomed larger than Joe I. Vigil, who he first admired as a coach but came to know and love as an even greater human being and friend.

Billy Mills shocked the running world with his come-from-behind win in the 10,000-meter run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. A virtual unknown going into the Games, Mills' victory is considered one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history and was depicted in the 1983 film, Running Brave. His achievement led him to a life of activism, especially on behalf of Native American issues. Mills co-founded Running Strong for American Indian Youth, for which he was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Barack Obama. A member of the Oglala Sioux tribe and a US Marine, Mills was the first non-European to win the Olympic 10,000m and remains the only winner from the Americas.