Runner, prisoner of war camp survivor, and Olympic medalist are three attributes that describe Louis Zamperini. Many people know that Louis Zamperini was an Olympic medalist, but he was so much more. As a well known Olympic medalist, Louis Zamperini, showed Americans that they could get through anything if they just pushed themselves to the limit. He left a lasting legacy as a prisoner of war survivor. Louis’s life started during his childhood were he became a troublemaker and had many near death experiences. During his childhood he made a gang, stole many things, and was nearly killed many times. When Louis was young he was almost burned because he got caught in a house fire. Louie’s idea of having some fun was stealing pies from Meinzners Pie Shop. (Zamperini, Pg.10) He was such a troublemaker that he created a gang including himself, John, Billy, and even a girl. His parents were the people that started it all. Louis Zamperini’s parents had many impacts in his life long journey. His parents were Italian immigrants that came to the U.S. Their names were Anthony and Louise Zamperini. (Hillenbrand, Pg.7) Louis’s parents and his childhood helped start his astounding influence on the world. Louis had a variety of contributions to the world around him. One of the many contributions that Louie had was his running …show more content…
“Zamperini was dubbed the ‘Torrance Tornado’ after he set a national high school record for running the mile”(Caulfeild and Siemaszko, local) This quote shows what an excellent runner he was even at a young age. Once while running a mile, his opponents impaled his foot, cut his shins, and cracked his rib, yet he still ran a 4:08.3, breaking the National Collegiate record.(Hillenbrand, Pg.44) The legacies that Louie left behind show that even though he had a hard life with POW camp and being a delinquent he was still able to build up and bring together many