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On this episode of Our American Stories, before Nike became one of the world's most recognizable brands, it was a small company founded by a track coach and one of his former runners. Steve Bence was there. As a teammate of Steve Prefontaine at the University of Oregon, he learned from legendary coach Bill Bowerman, met Phil Knight before Nike became a household name, and watched the company grow from an ambitious startup into a global icon.

Bence, author of 1972: Pre, UO Track, Nike Shoes and My Life with Them All, shares remarkable firsthand stories about Steve Prefontaine, the fight to change amateur athletics, Bowerman's relentless drive to solve problems, and what it was like to witness the birth of Nike from the inside.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Nike became one of the world's most recognizable brands, it was a small company founded by a track coach and one of his former runners. Steve Bence was there. As a teammate of Steve Prefontaine at the University of Oregon, he learned from legendary coach Bill Bowerman, met Phil Knight before Nike became a household name, and watched the company grow from an ambitious startup into a global icon. Bence, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F0977230635%3Flv%3Dshuf%26channelId%3D500%26plpRedirect%3DmhFallback&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7Ca2a461e3db294c288d1b08dedb850e3f%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639189561735231774%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=kcRZATaHmWalpMyyJxNkOFt7qtvFC1qfLAL6jJfugks%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5" data-ogsc="">1972: Pre, UO Track, Nike Shoes and My Life with Them All</a>, shares remarkable firsthand stories about Steve Prefontaine, the fight to change amateur athletics, Bowerman's relentless drive to solve problems, and what it was like to witness the birth of Nike from the inside.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories tells stories that aren&rsquo;t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we&rsquo;ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Steve Prefontaine, Phil Knight, and the Birth of Nike

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4c920aea-526a-46ad-ba04-b482016c2a78/transcript