[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 14, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    GOLD FOR GREENSBORO'S JOEY CHEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HOWARD COBLE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 14, 2006

  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, when someone thinks sports and the Sixth 
District of North Carolina, most thoughts turn toward basketball, 
baseball and auto racing. I think it is safe to say that not many 
people would immediately leap to speed skating on ice. That's no longer 
the case, however, thanks to Joey Cheek of Greensboro. The Sixth 
District is now the speed skating capital of the world because Joey 
Cheek captured the gold medal in the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, 
by winning the 500 meter long-track speed skating event.
  Proving he is a true champion in every sense of the word, immediately 
after he won the gold medal, Joey Cheek announced he was donating the 
$25,000 he won from the U.S. Olympic Committee to refugee relief 
efforts in Africa. As reported in today's edition of the Greensboro 
News & Record, Joey said his thoughts are turning back to North 
Carolina. ``I am really excited about going home,'' the News & Record 
reported. ``Honestly, it doesn't even feel real. I'm so thrilled and so 
happy. But it doesn't seem to make sense. It's like it happened to 
someone else, and I'm just happy to sort of receive the good will for 
it. I'm just really excited and looking forward to the next couple of 
days to maybe realizing I'm an Olympic champion, will be forever, which 
is the coolest part of it.''
  Cheek is scheduled to compete in the 1,000 and 1,500 meter events 
next. In fact, the 1,000 meter race is considered to be Joey's 
strongest event, so there may be more Olympic hardware coming his way. 
Four years ago, he won the bronze medal in the Salt Lake City Olympics 
in the 1,000 meter race, so this gold medal is not at all surprising to 
those who follow the sport. Joey Cheek has been a skater since he was 
eight years old and used to skate in roller rinks in Greensboro. At 15, 
he switched to the ice and it's been a straight line to the winner's 
podium in Turin.
  Joey's mother is in Turin to witness family history first-hand, while 
his father is following from his home office in Winston-Salem. Once all 
of the racing is completed, Joey hopes to return to Greensboro where he 
plans to obtain a law degree and practice law in North Carolina. 
Whatever he decides to do, as he has shown both on and off the ice in 
Italy, Joey Cheek will be a champion and the Sixth District of North 
Carolina is proud to call him one of our own.

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