American Achievers

Sports columnist Dave Kindred talks about the enduring influence of small-town Midwestern values, the impact of a childhood gift, the memorable day he shared a bed with Muhammad Ali, and the late-in-life assignment that has given him purpose and fulfillment.

Part 2 of 2: Dick Rutan talks about the obstacles he and his brother Burt faced in building the Rutan Voyager and how, over the course of a nine-day journey in 1986, battling through mechanical problems, violent weather and gathering fatigue, he and Jeana Yeager established an aviation milestone that many thought impossible: flying around the world without stopping or refueling.    

Part 1 of 2: Dick Rutan talks about the airplane ride that changed his life, the admonition from his mother that altered his view of the world, the need for adventure that led him to become a decorated fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, and the origins of his historic flight around the world.      

Chilean-born banker Tito Echiburu talks about escaping an abusive father and political instability to chase success in the United States, the importance of goal-setting, drive and assimilation, and how he leveraged a tennis scholarship and a life-altering telegram to find happiness in a small Mississippi town.

Part 2 of 2: Michael O'Neill talks about his breakout performance as a Secret Service agent on THE WEST WING, the one part he lost that still bothers him, the most gut-wrenching role of his career, the importance of tenacity, and how some characters have burrowed deep into his soul.

Part 1 of 2: Television and film actor Michael O'Neill, best known for SEABISCUIT, THE WEST WING, and GREY'S ANATOMY, talks about the unlikely phone call that led him to Hollywood,  the lessons he learned from an aging star, and how he conquered a debilitating weakness.   

Archie Griffin, the only two-time winner of college football's Heisman Trophy, talks about the powerful example set by his father, his first meeting with coach Woody Hayes, his humbling first carry at Ohio State, and what he learned from his disappointing NFL career.

Gina Locklear, the owner of the Zkano sock company, talks about why she quit her real estate job to return to her devastated hometown and how she has been tested by the various challenges of building a consumer brand in an industry buffeted by globalization.

Part 2 of 2: Robert Swan talks about the bittersweet climax of his South Pole expedition and his treacherous journey to the North Pole, the alcohol problem that pushed him to the edge, how Jacques Cousteau inspired him to pursue a 50-year mission, why he emigrated to the United States, and what he is learning from the son now following in his footsteps.

Part 1 of 2: Robert Swan talks about the boyhood fascination with Robert Falcon Scott that grew into a burning ambition to follow in the doomed explorer's footsteps and how he overcame various obstacles to become the first person to walk to both the north and south poles.

Tom Johnson, the former president of CNN and publisher of the LOS ANGELES TIMES, talks about the life-altering impact of one man's act of faith, the drive that propelled him to become one of the most powerful figures in American media—and the price he has paid for his raging ambition.

Chiropractor Flora Hyacinth talks about growing up poor in a Caribbean fishing village, dreaming of a better life, the athletic scholarship that brought her to the United States, the memorable day she set a world record in the triple jump, and the injury she sustained while training for the Olympics that changed her life.

Former NASA engineer Homer Hickam talks about growing up in West Virginia coal country, his complicated relationship with his father, the influence of a special teacher, and the inspirational story that resulted in the best-selling memoir ROCKET BOYS and the popular film OCTOBER SKY.

Jeff Miller, who owns a dry cleaning business in Hendersonville, North Carolina, talks about the World War II veterans, including his father, who imbued his upbringing with patriotism and a sense of community, and the fateful spark that led him to co-found the Honor Flight Network.

Part 2 of 2: Bill Rasmussen talks about the skepticism he and his partners faced in selling a 24-hour sports channel to cable operators, rights holders and advertisers, and the various financial, technological and logistical hurdles they overcame while founding a media brand that would fundamentally change the sports world and the television industry. 

Part 1 of 2: Bill Rasmussen talks about his formative years as a local broadcaster, being fired from his front-office job with hockey's New England Whalers, and how, working with his son, Scott, and insurance agent Ed Eagan, he began to develop the revolutionary idea that became the cable channel ESPN.

In an interview conducted two years before his death in 2021, war correspondent Joe Galloway talks about the pivotal event that led him to a life in journalism, covering the Kansas murder case immortalized by Truman Capote, the landmark Vietnam War battle that profoundly marked him, producing the best-selling book that was adapted into the Mel Gibson movie WE WERE SOLDIERS, and the surreal night h...

Fox Sports football analyst Spencer Tillman talks about the missionary mother who shaped his view of the world, the lessons he learned while playing football for Oklahoma and in the NFL, the keys to his long career in broadcasting, and the motivational power of rejection and pressure.    

Steve Justice, the former director of advanced systems development for Lockheed Martin's fabled Skunk Works, who recently came out of retirement to join Virgin Galactic, talks about the aircraft that captured his imagination, what he learned from his biggest failure, and the power of dreams, passion, risk, and thinking without artificial boundaries.

Classical violinist Chee-Yun talks about the sibling rivalry that enabled her musical development in South Korea, how moving to America and studying at Julliard motivated her, the family crisis that kickstarted her professional career, and the special instrument with an intriguing heritage that brings her pleasure.

Ben Gilbert, one of the founders of Moe's Original Bar B Que, talks about why he quit his job to pursue his dream, the importance of a strong work ethic, and the lessons he has learned from turning one Colorado restaurant into a growing chain with locations in 14 states.

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski talks about being selected number one overall in the 1975 NFL Draft, why he began to second-guess his decision to choose football over baseball, how losing his starting job changed him, why a 1980 playoff loss to the Cowboys still haunts him, and the athletic lessons that he has applied to the rest of his life.

Grammy-nominated songwriter Adam Wright talks about his early musical influences, the impact of his family legacy, the art of writing a country song, and how it feels to hear his work interpreted by artists including Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood and Alan Jackson.

Part 2 of 2: Charles Bolden Jr. talks about the mentor who encouraged him to apply for the astronaut program, how his four Space Shuttle missions affected his perspective, the problematic deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope, and his seven-year tenure as NASA Administrator.    

Part 1 of 2: Retired General Charles Bolden Jr. talks about navigating around a cultural roadblock to win an appointment to the Naval Academy, the influence of his educator parents, and the lessons he learned as a Marine aviator and test pilot on the way to outer space.