[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 35 (Wednesday, March 9, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1500-S1501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO CHARLES ``CHUCK'' WIELGUS

 Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, today I wish to 
recognize Charles ``Chuck'' Wielgus of Colorado Springs, a recipient of 
the 2010 Great Comebacks Award for the Western Region. This award 
honors 12 individuals throughout the United States who have struggled 
with a chronic intestinal condition and have exhibited extraordinary 
strength and courage in fighting to ensure that this condition does not 
affect their ability to live life on their terms.
  Chuck was serving as executive director of USA Swimming in 2006 when 
he was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer. His diagnosis 
required radiation and chemotherapy therapy, as

[[Page S1501]]

well as ostomy surgery. With the constant support of his swimming 
family, as well as the inspiration given him by his wife Nancy, Chuck 
was quickly able to regain his fighting spirit.
  Four years removed from his ordeal, Chuck is as active as ever. In 
2008, Chuck traveled to China with the U.S. Swim Team for the Beijing 
Olympic Games. Aside from his role with USA Swimming, Chuck is the 
chief executive officer of the USA Swimming Foundation, and is looking 
forward to taking on the responsibility of helping others through 
sharing his personal story of triumph.
  There are thousands of brave Coloradans who share Chuck's story, and 
it is an honor for me to be able to tell that story here, for the 
record. I congratulate Chuck and the other Great Comebacks Award 
recipients for 2010, and I urge my colleagues to take the time to learn 
more about the struggles brave citizens such as Chuck face in your own 
respective States. Their stories, like Chuck's, are inspirational; with 
help from all of my colleagues here today, we can together begin to 
heighten awareness about some of the huge strides being made by people 
living with intestinal diseases or recovering from ostomy 
surgery.

                          ____________________