A Presidential Day of Olympic Proportions

Oct. 7, 2008, Washington, D.C. - Over 500 athletes from the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games were welcomed to the White House today by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush in celebration of their athletic achievements.

It was the athletes' first opportunity to gather as one delegation of Olympians and Paralympians since leaving Beijing.

In the dark of morning, a caravan of buses carrying Team USA left the Baltimore Hilton and arrived at the White House just as the sun was rising on a silhouette of the Washington Monument in the east.

As they departed the buses, there were hugs and greetings and a relaxed attitude of athletes in flip-flops far removed from the pressures of competition.  With only celebrating on the day's agenda, they enjoyed each other's company with a common bond of having lived through one of the most exciting times of their lives together.

After the anxious athletes had filled every stair, step and stoop on the podium crafted for them in the Rose Garden, the President and Mrs. Bush came out to a round of applause and greeted the team. 

"Members of the mighty Olympic team, we're glad you're here," he said.  "We thank you for the lasting memories that we will take with us forever."

"The Olympic team finished with the top medal count of 110 medals.  But more impressive was the decency and the character that you brought to the world stage.  Whether you won a medal or not really doesn't matter in the long run.  What really matters is the honor you brought to your sports, to your families and to your country."

Often spotted on NBC during the Olympic Games, President Bush shared some of the moments of the Games that he and Mrs. Bush enjoyed the most including the men's 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay whose gold medal solidified Michael Phelps (Swimming) quest for eight gold medals.

As the President remembered the exciting finish in detail for the crowd, gold medal winners and world record holders Phelps and Garrett Weber-Gale (Swimming) stood directly behind him smiling.

Weber-Gale, who swam the second leg in the relay, spoke later in the day of the moment he considers one of the greatest in his life.

"As Michael and I were peering over the block we couldn't tell who won, but the board said we had smashed the world record.  It was the greatest feeling in the world.  All the hard work seems to pay off and nothing else seems to matter except for the pride you have for your country."

Responding to the now-famous $1 million Speedo incentive bonus offered to Phelps if he secured the eighth gold medal, Weber-Gale said, "I probably won't tell him, but he owes us a car."

President Bush also acknowledged members of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports who were attending the event, and encouraged their continued efforts to promote physical activity for all.

"There is no better time to remind our fellow citizens that physical fitness will lead to a healthier America."

The President then specifically recognized U.S. Paralypians, who sometimes discover their extraordinary athletic talents through tragic accidents. 

April Holmes (Paralympic Athletics) is one such athlete.  In a devastating train accident, she suffered a left leg amputation and learned of the Paralympics while in the hospital healing. After being honored at the White House, she spoke of her experiences.

"I was lucky I had a good doctor.  He brought me Paralympic magazines while I was is the hospital.  I flipped through the magazine and my sister said, "You can do that, you look faster than those girls!"

The President then honored the 16 athletes in the Beijing delegation who serve the nation in uniform, and personally congratulated Army LT Melissa Stockwell (Paralympic Swimming) for her achievements.   

Stockwell was on a routine convoy in Baghdad, Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded and resulted in the loss of her left leg.

"After four years of significant rehabilitation," said the President, "she qualified as a swimmer, and her teammates nominated her as a flag bearer for the Closing Ceremony."

Led by Stockwell, the athletes were then given the opportunity to address the crowd with their gratitude for the enthusiasm and support demonstrated by the President and Mrs. Bush in Beijing. 

Stockwell presented the first couple with a flag that flew over American housing in Beijing, and a framed commemorative photograph from the Opening Ceremony.

Blind athlete Jennifer Armbruster (Paralympic Goalball) presented the President and Mrs. Bush with official Team USA jackets supplied by Ralph Lauren to recognize them as honorary members of the 2008 team.

She was later asked if she was nervous addressing the president in front of television cameras and a large crowd.  "The advantage for me is that I don't have to see, so I couldn't see the crowd," Armbruster joked.  "I rehearsed [my speech] about ten or twenty times before I said it. Mrs. Bush was right next to me the whole time and she was very relaxed, so that helped.  It was a great experience."

For some of the athletes, the event took on an unusual sense of symbolism.  Closing Ceremony flag bearer Khatuna Lorig (Archery) expressed a sense of disbelief at the twists and turns her life had taken.  A native of the country of Georgia, she had turned on the television following the Opening Ceremony in Beijing to find that Georgia had been attacked by Russia.

Lorig called her mother to find that her family had fled outside of the city and that they were fine, but she said it was hard to focus because she felt helpless from so far away.

"Things can happen that you don't expect." 

Having received her American citizenship last year, it was still hard to comprehend that she could be honored by the President of the United States. 

"I can dream about a gold medal, but I would never dream of this.  So many athletes would deserve this honor.  Nowhere in the world is life as good as here." 

After the event, the athletes were welcomed on a tour of the White House and spent time socializing and meeting other athletes. 

As they discussed the changes their lives had taken since returning home, they seemed to know that this was a unique moment for each of them.  Never again would these athletes be surrounded by so many friends and familiar faces who had shared their experiences of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

The closing comments of President Bush acknowledged their unique contributions as Americans when he thanked them for the inspiration they had provided for all. 

"Long after we leave the White House, Laura and I will remember the extraordinary spirit and kindness of the athletes we have met," said the President.

"You amaze the world with your talent, grace and sportsmanship.  You inspire children to chase their dreams.  You will be champions forever."