SIT DOWN WITH STEVE: Meet Novlene Williams-Mills – Olympic Medalist, Cancer Survivor and Mom

Williams-Mills IS Four-time Olympic Medalist

WATCH: Four-time Olympic Medalist Novlene Williams-Mills talks with Steve Wilson in the latest edition of “Sit Down with Steve.” Williams-Mills is one of the best track and field athletes to ever come out of Jamaica, specializing in the 400M and 4x400M relay. She was diagnosed with cancer shortly before the 2012 Olympics and still was able to bring home a silver medal! Williams-Mills talks about her track and field career, her battle with cancer, and much more in this exclusive interview.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Novlene Williams-Mills is one of the best track & field athletes to ever come out of Jamaica.  She has medaled in two Continental Cups, three Commonwealth Games, two World Relays, six World Championships and four Olympic Games. 

Williams-Mills would run as a youngster during “Sports Day” in Jamaica, and chuckles when she says, “I was running because they would give awards at the end of the races and I wanted to see how much I could collect!” 

Over the years she has collected quite a few awards.

After graduating high school, Williams-Mills attended the University of Florida on a track and field scholarship.

Standout Gators Coach Tom Jones helped Williams-Mills realize her potential. She graduated in 2004, and the following year, she won a silver medal at the World Championships in the 4x400m relay.

Over the next several years, Williams-Mills continued to excel on the track. 

And then, prior to the 2012 Olympics in London, she was diagnosed with cancer and decided to tell only a couple of people about the diagnosis. 

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Hiding what was going through her mind, she was constantly putting on a smile for everyone at the Games.  

“I didn’t want to make it an excuse,” she said. “I owed it to my teammates to just be out there and give them the best that I can. They were depending on me.

The 2012 Games for Williams-Mills was a success as she and her teammates won the silver medal in the 4x400m relay and Williams-Mills placed fifth in the individual 400m event. 

With the encouragement of her husband, her many friends, and her incredible physical and mental strength, Williams-Mills beat cancer. 

Today she is the proud mother of twin boys and is also a personal trainer. I can not think of anyone else I would want training me other than Novlene Williams-Mills. 

She knows how to win, and she has already beaten the toughest opponent out there – cancer.  She is quite simply, a winner.

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