Olympic Day Program: Remembering the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games 

Celebrate Olympic Day with a look back at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games from the perspective of the athletes.

Raj Mathai, NBC Bay Area newscaster, a 12-time Emmy Award winner and Olympic expert will moderate a panel discussion with Donna De Varona, Billy Mills, and Andy Toro, three athletes who participated in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Presented by the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee (BASOC) and NBC Bay Area in partnership with the Pasadena Senior Center and Pasadena Senior Games.

Donna De Varona set over a dozen world and American records and swam in two Olympic Games (including Tokyo) in 1964) before retiring as a competitive swimmer at age 17. She became an important sports broadcaster and advocate for women in sports, helping Billy Jean King to found the influential Women’s Sports Foundation. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and has won numerous awards and honors,  

Billy Mills burst onto the Olympic stage at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, coming from relative obscurity to win a gold medal in the 10,000 meters. A member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, Billy Mills was the first non-European to win that event. He continued to set records during his running career as well as becoming a powerful advocate for health and wellness. 

András (Andy) Tör competed in four Summer Olympics in canoe. Originally from Hungary, he defected at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Coming to the United States, he continued his Olympic career as an American, as well as pursuing a career as a naval architect and marine engineer. 

Olympic Day is traditionally observed worldwide on June 23, and was first celebrated in 1948 to promote the Olympic ideal. It was originally marked by running events and other sports. Olympic Day has grown into a day of cultural and educational activities as well as sports, based on the three pillars “move,” “learn,” and “discover.”