[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1526]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    OLYMPIAN AND TEXAN CHAD HEDRICK

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, there is a Texas-sized force to be reckoned 
with in Italy. Chad Hedrick, the 28-year-old former inline skating icon 
from Spring, Texas, is speed skating his way to victory.
  In the first day of Olympic competition, he has already garnered 
gold, the first for him and the United States in these Olympics. Chad's 
love for skating started at age 2 in roller skates at his parents' 
roller skating rink in Spring, Texas.
  He grew up and became one of the world's most famous inline skaters, 
but he switched to speed stating only 4 years ago. Chad Hedrick is a 
contender for four more medals in the games in Italy, and he is off to 
a spectacular start.
  Although the rink and the type of skates have changed, this hometown 
hero's passion and talents have only gotten stronger throughout the 
years, and his passion was shown when he became teary eyed when the 
Star Spangled Banner played as he was awarded the gold medal.
  The entire State of Texas and the Nation congratulate Chad on this 
astounding accomplishment, and we will be cheering for him for the 
remainder of the games. As we say in Texas, get 'er done, Chad. And 
that's the way it is.

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