Josh Mills, junior, recently ran the fifth-fastest 8k in Panther history.

This accomplishment was not his first; his first major milestone was breaking the 20-minute 5k mark while still in high school.

But even that was later in his athletic career, as he started running at the early age of 10–in fifth grade.

Once in middle school, this for-fun activity became his sport.

“I signed up for the track team because I wanted to do a sport, and I liked to run,” Mills explained.

As a member of the track and field team, Mills’ passion for running grew, leading him to join the cross-country team during the fall semester of his freshman year of high school–a first major step that would carve the path for the many races to come.

“With a lot of hard work, time, and effort, my career started to take off my junior year of high school,” he said.

A student at Franklin County High School at the time, Mills realized he had what it takes to take running to the next level when he ran that sub-20-minute 5k during his junior year.

“It is still my favorite memory,” offered Mills. “The day I broke the 20-minute barrier. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I really can do this as a sport, and, like, be good at it.'”

Mills used this confidence to set the pace to the finish line–and all the way to Ferrum–to compete as a collegiate athlete.

However, he encountered a little more than just sore legs on his running route to the top. One was natural ability–or lack thereof, according to him.

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” serves as the motto for Mills’ first challenge.

“I was never that just raw-talented kind of track runner,” he described, recollecting his introductory season of the sport. “I had to put a little more work than some others would ever have to.”

Yet, defeat is the last thing detected on his Garmin’s radar.

“I put in the consistency, the hard work, and the effort,” Mills emphasized. “I ran year-round–cross country, track and field, and eventually even indoor track. I did everything I could to get better.”

Mills expressed gratitude to the mentorship of his two high school coaches, Chris Williams and Chris Renick.

Unfortunately, shoes laced with determination and the backing of coaches are still no gua-run-tee of a steady pace forward with no steps back–especially with the possibility of injury lurking around the corner of every cross-country trail.

For Mills, this came in the form of two injuries in the same season.

“In the beginning of my sophomore year,” he stated, “I fractured my femur. And as soon as I got back in, I broke my right foot.”

Still, this runner could not be stopped by a metaphorical hurdle or two. Dedicated to his sport, Mills understood that he needed to climb up steep hills to enjoy the smooth glide back down. Or, in his case, his paved path to greatness.

“Running kind of taught me that to achieve a goal, you have to make a goal, and then do whatever it takes to get to it,” he remarked.

And get to his goal he did, achieving Athlete of the Week honors and the status of No. 5 all-time runner at the college in the past month alone.

“I owe a lot of credit to my current coaches, Coach (Andre) Kidd and Coach (Bus) Baker, for getting me to my current record and my best 8k,” he said.

Kidd and Baker, however, assure that the credit is due to Mills’ work ethic.

“He has been a really great runner for us,” Baker exclaimed, “and he really puts in the work. He never misses a day of practice, and he runs 50+ miles a week.”

Baker anticipates only the best from Mills in his remaining time at the college.

“He just ran the 5th fastest 8k in school history, ” said Baker. “Maybe by the end of the season, we could get him to number four.”

Freshman Jaiden Childress has been running with Mills for only a few months—enough to understand just how much Mills gives to his sport.

“He is a hard worker and has a positive attitude always,” Childress said. “He is definitely unbelievable to watch–warming up on the field, at practice, and at meets.”

For Mills, it is more than just the shiny medal at the finish line–it’s the connections he continues to make along the way, too.

He attributes the bond with his team and his lessons learned through running to have a positive influence on both him and his college experience.

Mills also has not forgotten to appreciate the little things in his life of running, either. For him, sometimes it’s about the things he sees and not just the miles past.

“Just being out there, and the scenery,” he commented, “sometimes it’s the most enjoyable part.”

Mills also finds enjoyment in other areas of his life–as more than just an athlete.

In his free time, he prefers to give those running feet a rest–particularly in the forms of watching football games, basketball, and participating in online gaming himself.

“I used to race go-karts when I was younger, but that was a little dangerous,” he joked.

Turning away from the danger, Mills is currently pursuing a major in Health and Human Performance and has even considered undertaking a minor in coaching as well. He hopes that one day his experience as an athlete will help him guide the next generation.

For now, however, Mills has his eyes on the prize. And his teammates see that dedication.

Junior Kayden Ryder, his teammate, said Mills is one of the hardest workers that he knows.

“Day in and day out, he gives his all through every workout and consistently pushes the rest of us to be better,” Ruder explained. “He has really taken off this year, and he’s earned every bit of it.”

Training hard and shaving one second at a time, Mills hopes that next personal best is always just a race away.