Cheek Hopes Aid Makes 'Greater Impact'
March 19, 2006 — -- Joey Cheek, the 26-year-old speed skater, glided to a gold medal in Turin. But, it was what Cheek did next, donating his winnings to relief efforts in the Sudan's Darfur region, that really captured the Olympic spirit. And Cheek continued his activism this week in Washington, dining with the president and appearing with Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. -- all to help the children of Sudan.
Joey Cheek: Right before I skated, my mom brought me a big stack of letters from school kids. I was reading these letters before I skated that day and I knew what I wanted to do if it happened. These kids are no different than the kids in Africa. They're no different from the kids in Darfur. It's just that one coincidence of fate. They were born in the U.S. They have the support of parents and schools. They're going to be able to grow up and live happy, productive lives -- hopefully, most of them. And if we have this gift that we've been given, I think it's our responsibility to pass on to other folks. So, that's what I'll try and do, and that's the mantle I try and wear.
I knew that if I were to do something great with the Olympics, I'd have that brief moment where the lights are all on you and the cameras all turn on you. And I felt like it would be a great opportunity to make a large gesture, to do something to have what I hoped would be a greater impact. There was something unique about that day. There was some feeling, I guess, that maybe because I had this extra thing, that I knew if I skated well, could happen.
It seems that I've kind of been, perhaps, a catalyst. There are so many people that have worked so much longer and harder on this region and this situation than I have that deserve all the praise and credit for giving up every day of their lives for many years to make this happen. I was in some ways at the right place, at the right time. I knew about the situation, thought it wasn't right and was able to make a statement when a lot of people were listening.
In the long run --10 years, probably five years, a year from now; who knows? -- no one's really going to care that I was able to skate fast in a circle. But what more noble cause [is there] than to take a few minutes and try and help out a situation, or help out someone who is, just by a twist of fate, born in a different land or a different opportunity than we have?
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