[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2843-2844]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           ALASKAN OLYMPIANS

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, from February 12 to February 28, 
Americans were united in cheering on some of our Nation's most elite 
athletes as they competed at the 22nd Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I 
commend all of our athletes for their exemplary performance and thank 
the coaches, the team leaders and the U.S. Olympic staff. With such a 
talented group of people working together, it is no surprise that the 
United States won a record breaking 37 medals. Americans watched with 
an extraordinary sense of pride as our flag was raised and our anthem 
played, and our fellow countrymen and women competed and won on an 
international stage. I am especially proud of the seven Alaskans that 
contributed their talent to their country and competed at these Winter 
Olympics.
  Holly Brooks, the coach turned athlete, participated in her first 
ever Winter Olympics this year. Holly quickly became a beloved member 
of the Alaskan community after moving there from Seattle. Her work as a 
coach at Alaska Pacific University and subsequent Olympic success has 
been an inspiration to many of Alaska's young skiers. I know that Holly 
received an outpouring of support during her run up to qualifying for 
the Olympics from many of her fellow athletes and Alaskans led by her 
husband who made hundreds of ``Go Holly'' stickers for her supporters 
to wear. I wish Holly luck in her further competitions and hope that 
she will continue to be a great role model for the young people of 
Alaska.
  Callan Chythlook-Sifsof is the first Alaska Native to be selected to 
the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Team and the first to make an 
Olympic Team. Growing up in a small rural village on the coast of the 
Bering Sea, Callan learned to board on the mountains surrounding her 
home. In 2006, at age 17, she earned a position on the U.S. snowboard 
team and a bronze medal in her first World Cup Boardercross in Japan. 
She also received a bronze medal at the start of the 2009 season in the 
South America Continental Cup. Callan continues to quickly excel and is 
currently ranked No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 14 in the world in Ladies' 
Boardercross. I hope she continues to compete for many years to come 
and hopefully we will see her in 2014 in Sochi.
  Jay Hakkinen is a familiar name in Alaska where he has been a 
professional biathlete for over 13 years and just finished his fourth 
Winter Olympics. Jay is one of the most accomplished U.S. biathletes in 
Olympic history and his 10th-place finish in the 20 Kilometer 
Individual at the 2006 Torino Games previously served as the benchmark 
for the U.S. in an individual event. Jay has shown his perseverance and 
persistence throughout his illustrious career as a biathlete. I know 
this is not the last we have heard of Jay and wish him luck as he 
finishes out the World Cup season.
  Jeremy Teela surpassed Jay's benchmark this Olympic Games with his 
9th place finish in the Men's 10 Kilometer Sprint. The 34-year-old 
biathlete from Anchorage is a three-time consecutive Olympian. However, 
his service to his country goes beyond his athletic talent as Jeremy is 
a sergeant in the U.S. Army National Guard. As one of five soldier 
athletes competing in the Olympics, Jeremy and his other servicemembers 
remind us of the sacrifices that many young Americans have made in 
service to their country. Jeremy previously earned the bronze medal in 
the Men's 20 Kilometer in last year's World Cup and I hope he has 
similar success this year.
  Kikkan Randal, the 27-year-old cross country skier from Anchorage, 
competed in her third consecutive Winter Olympic Games where she had 
her best-ever finish in the Women's 30 Kilometer Classic--finishing 
24th. A former resident of Salt Lake City, UT, she

[[Page 2844]]

moved at an early age to Anchorage with her family. She is also the 
niece of former Olympic cross country-skiers, Betsy Haines and Chris 
Haines, and in 2007 she became the first American woman to ever win a 
cross-country World Cup Title.
  During his second consecutive Winter Olympic Games, James Southam 
competed in three events, including the 50 Kilometer Classic where he 
achieved a personal best finishing in 28th place. James was born and 
raised in Anchorage and participates in training along with Holly 
Brooks and Kikkan Randall at the Alaska Pacific University Ski Center. 
The APU Ski Center was a vital source of support for these Olympic 
athletes and kept many Alaskans informed of their progress through 
their facebook page. James, Holly, and Kikkan are a tremendous 
inspiration for the other skiers at APU and I look forward to hearing 
of more of their successes over the years.
  Our Olympic Silver medalist Kerry Weiland, from Palmer, is a fierce 
defender on the ice. Her intensity has earned her the nickname Kamikaze 
Kerry, because she has the ability to take out two players with one 
hit. Not only did Kerry's defense help lead the U.S. to a Silver medal, 
but the U.S. Women's Hockey team outscored their opponents 40-2 leading 
up to the gold-medal game. Kerry is also a dominant force on the U.S. 
National Team where she was a member of the 2008 Gold Medal World 
Championship team. She is also the founder and instructor of the 
Weiland Hockey Development in Ontario where she teaches young women the 
fundamentals of hockey, inspiring a new generation of female athletes.
  I want to thank again all the U.S. Olympic athletes for all of their 
hard work and dedication. It is difficult to comprehend the high degree 
of training and commitment required to compete in the Olympic Games and 
we have watched in awe as they have inspired us with their 
achievements. As Alaskans, we are exceptionally proud of these 
individuals. We regard our athletes as role models in many ways, and 
the sportsmanship that all our American Olympians displayed during 
these games exemplified some of our Nation's most important values. Our 
athletes were humble in victory and gracious in defeat, and made all 
Americans proud. I thank these individuals for being such great 
ambassadors for Alaska and for America.

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