President Obama will address Team USA 2010 Olympians and Paralympians (April 21, 2010) from the White House South Lawn.
We can all share in their amazing experiences. Watch the live stream of the President’s address on www.Teamusa.org tomorrow at 3:30pm ET.
YOU CAN DO IT ANYWHERE!
What other sport can you do on the white house lawn, on stages, the street or practically anywhere? Over the past 2-years there have been fencing demonstrations and clinics done at the White House, fashion shows, Capitol Hill, Park Ave, Bryant Park, NY City Hall, IN THE STREET, the Coney Island boardwalk, school classrooms and auditoriums…
Most sports need to bring the people to them because they are done on fields or in gyms, but with fencing we can bring the sport TO THE PEOPLE which makes it ideal for events and promotion! (GO FENCING!)
I’m so giddy I can barely write, but here goes!
Daria Schneider and I went to the White House today for an event with President Obama and the First Lady in support of Chicago’s Olympic Games bid.
You never really know how much time you’re going to get to spend with the President when you visit, but today was really above and beyond my wildest dreams and truly a great day for fencing!
It started with Michelle Obama during her speech saying that she saw Barack trying to fence before they all came out and he clearly doesn’t have it! Then when Obama started his speech he began it by saying that, “I always wanted to try fencing, and maybe you guys,” he said pointing at us, “can give me a few pointers.”
After the speeches, President Obama and the First Lady made their way over to us as we were talking to the assembled kids and they spent significant time with us! We showed President Obama a few moves, he played with the light saber and foam sabers, asked us questions about the sport, checked out my Olympic medal from Beijing (he said he’d never seen one before!) and then even refereed the demonstration between Daria and myself!
At one point, he fist pumped Daria during the match when she scored on me!
Unbelievably surreal!
Right now, pictures of us fencing with Obama are going out all over the internet! Fingers crossed that this publicity will help us with ratings for our World Championships, get more people to come try it out (You couldn’t ask for a better endorsement of the sport!), and help us land those still elusive sponsorships.
Either way, this was really one of the most amazing experiences of my life!
Just got my tickets! I’m headed to the White house to meet President Obama!
Tomorrow, I will be participating in an event at the White House with fellow national team member Daria Schneider and Olympians from other sports supporting Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid!
President Obama will be speaking to an assembled crowd of DC area school children, Olympians and media about the need for healthy living, volunteerism and the benefits of Chicago hosting the 2016 Olympic Games.
The current agenda calls for him to spend some time with each of the sports who will be running demonstrations for the children so its likely I will get o show him a few fencing moves!
So excited! I’m planning to give him a little gift of foam fencing sabers for Sasha and Malia. (I think they would be some great fencers!)
Kanye West is really out of control!
Yesterday he took the microphone from Taylor Swift during the VMAs and now he’s interupt President Barrack Obama!!
Kanye West will be on Jay Leno’s new show tonight. Coincidence for NBA and Jay Leno? Wonder what he will do for encore?
This was a really great moment at a recent Obama town hall meeting.
I love a good “moment”.
I guess President Obama didn’t watch Mariel Zagunis win the Gold this summer for the USA! Haha. (OK, this clip was from during the campaign, but it just came to my attention!)
It’s a good thing this didn’t come out during the campaign. He might have lost the critical fencing vote…and then who knows, McCain might have won!
When was the last time a President mentioned fencing anyway? So maybe this is a good thing?
Now we just need to educate him after he finishes working on some slightly more important issues like the economy and world peace!
