Milt Campbell dies at 78 years old, sports officials said on Saturday. Milt Campbell was the first African-American to win the Olympic decathlon and went on to play professional football.
Linda Rusch, Campbell's partner of 13 years, said Campbelk died Friday at his home in Gainesville. She said he had been fighting prostate cancer for a decade, according to the Associated Press.
"He was extremely disciplined," Rusch told The Associated Press on Saturday. "He had huge passion. For you to win the gold you have to be so self-motivated and so self-disciplined. And you have to have a very strong mind."
Milt Campbell died at home in Gainesville, Georgia, on Friday, said the U.S.A. Track & Field organization.
Campbell won the decathlon in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, four years after finishing second in the event in the 1952 Helsinki Games. He played football at Indiana University and had a brief career in the NFL, playing one season with the Cleveland Browns.
"Campbell will forever be known as the first African American to win a gold medal in the decathlon and one of the greatest all-around male athletes in history," the organization said in a news release.
Rusch said Campbell became a motivational speaker, encouraging others to adopt a positive outlook on life. In addition to Rusch, he is survived by his three children.
