[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 115 (Tuesday, July 31, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   IN HONOR OF SOUTH JERSEY OLYMPIANS

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                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 31, 2012

  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our South Jersey 
Olympians: Tamika Catchings, basketball; Rachael Dawson, field hockey; 
Michelle Vittese, field hockey; Jordan Burroughs, wrestling; and Steve 
Kasprzyk, rowing. They have traveled to London to compete in the 2012 
Summer Olympic Games.
  These athletes represent the United States on the world stage, 
affording them the distinct honor of serving as role models for 
citizens across South Jersey area and the entire nation. Their success, 
derived through hard work and dedication, and exemplified through 
athletic competition, is something every American can aspire to as a 
shining example of the American dream. In the same way our national 
ethos rewards fortitude and persistence, these athletes earned the 
opportunity to compete on the Olympic stage through long hours of 
training and sacrifice.
  Part of the Olympic Creed, originating from a speech by Ethelbert 
Talbot during the 1908 London Games, states: ``The essential thing is 
not to have conquered but to have fought well.'' One hundred and four 
years later, as the Olympics return to London, the message rings as 
true as ever. Through fierce competition amongst the nations of the 
world, these athletes continually push the limits of human achievement. 
The resulting bonds of friendship, gained through equally world-class 
sportsmanship, enrich both these athletes and their nations.
  Mr. Speaker, the dedication of these South Jersey Olympians and their 
teammates to athletics and sportsmanship should not go unrecognized. I 
join all of South Jersey in expressing our pride in their efforts.

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