Posted on 02/24/2006 11:02:34 AM PST by JZelle
TURIN, Italy -- Chad Hedrick and Shani Davis represent the sound and fury, not to mention the general goofiness that engulfed the U.S. men's long track speedskating team during the Winter Olympics. Joey Cheek remains an island of calmness, sanity and, not least of all, an extremely generous nature. He is not the only skater who kept his wits about him. But maybe more than any athlete here, Cheek made the most of his moments. He seems to embrace the quaint notion of the Olympic spirit that existed before the overselling of underachievers and other forms of crass commercialism grabbed the podium. Cheek, 26, is rumored to be the U.S. flag bearer for the closing ceremony. If they had one, he would get the Games' humanitarian award. But it would not be a mere consolation prize. He won an Oscar, taking the gold medal in the 500 meters. Then he funneled his $25,000 prize money, all of it, through the charity Right to Play, to help refugee children in Chad and the Darfur region of the Sudan.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
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