John Havlicek.

John Havlicek was born on April 8, 1940, in Martins Ferry, Ohio. He spent his childhood in Lansing, Ohio, a town of about seven hundred people who were mostly employed in the nearby coal mines and steel mills. John was the youngest of three children of Frank and Amanda Havlicek. His father had come to the United States from Czechoslovakia at the age of eleven, and his mother was of Croatian descent. The family operated a grocery store in Lansing and provided John an excellent childhood. When Havlicek was six years old, he discovered his talent for running by running nonstop between mileposts along the highway. Running gave him a sense of accomplishment and became an enjoyable routine. The passion for running and the ensuing stamina developed as a youth would serve as his trademark for his entire athletic career.