Joey Cheek

Joey Cheek is my favorite Olympian.

Joey Cheek won an Olympic gold medal yesterday in the men’s 500m speed skating event. His win is a remarkable achievement. His comments after the race were even more valuable.

Cheek used his moment in the media spotlight well. Calling attention to the genocide and despair in the Darfur region of Sudan, Cheek pledged to donate his medal bonus to relief efforts in the area.

Specifically, Cheek’s $25,000 will go to www.righttoplay.com, an organization started by Johann Olav Koss. Koss, a former Olympic and World champion speed skater, founded Right to Play to use “sport and play as a tool for the development of children and youth in the most disadvantaged areas of the world.”

Thank you Joey Cheek. You are a gentlemen and a fine human.

For more information on this story, please see Michael Rosenburg’s article at The Detroit Free Press.

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