A troublemaker who could run

Louis Zamperini grew up in Torrance, California, the son of Italian immigrants. As a boy he was always in trouble, stealing and fighting.

His older brother Pete pushed him into running, and Louie turned out to be remarkably fast. He competed in the 5,000 metres at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, finishing eighth but running a very fast final lap, and dreamed of the next Games. He went on to run for the University of Southern California.