Cejudo meets the President and First Lady at White House event to support Chicago’s Olympic bid
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by Gary Abbott
WASHINGTON, D.C. - With some many new and interesting things going on in his life, it might be hard to get 2008 Olympic wrestling champion Henry Cejudo excited about new adventures. However, when Cejudo had a chance to meet President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House today, he was both inspired and impressed.
"I got a little star struck," said Cejudo of his meeting with the President. "When he spoke, everybody got quiet and listened. He was inspiring. It was amazing to hear him speak."
Cejudo was at the White House as part of a delegation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes who were there to support the Chicago bid for the 2016 Olympics.
Cejudo made sure to spend some time talking with the President directly.
"I introduced myself. I had a chance to pull him aside. I told him that he inspired me to be a better person. I also told him I was from Arizona, where his rival John McCain is from. He laughed about that," said Cejudo.
The President was also able to tell that Cejudo was a wrestler.
"He knew about wrestling," said Cejudo. "He saw my ears and said, 'You must be a wrestler.'"
This was the second time that Cejudo has been at the White House since his Olympic victory in Beijing, China last August. He was among a large group of Olympians who went to the White House to meet then-President George W. Bush on October 7, 2008.
"This was even better," said Cejudo. "There weren't as many people this time. The last time I was here, there were hundreds of Olympians. There were only a few of us there. I had a chance to shake the President's hand twice today. I had a chance to talk directly with him."
Cejudo's day started with a special appearance with young children at Sousa Middle School in Washington, D.C., along with 1984 Olympic champion Jackie Joyner-Kersee and paralympic track star April Holmes. The school has predominantly minority students, and Cejudo had a message for these children.
"I had a chance to share my testimony with them, how all things are possible," said Cejudo. "I grew up in a very similar situation as them. It was fun to be with them. We talked about the Olympic movement and how sports changed our lives."
Cejudo had some time to visit with fellow wrestler Bob Pickens, who was sixth at the 1964 Olympics in Greco-Roman.
"He was one of the first African-American Greco-Roman wrestlers," said Cejudo. "He also played with the Chicago Bears. I had a chance to speak with him. I was able to take some knowledge from him. He had been involved with wrestling for so long. I also know that he is doing great things for Chicago, working in the schools and in community centers."
Cejudo was able to tell many of the participants about his journey in order to participate in the activities. He was on vacation with friends in the Dominican Republic when the final word came to that he would be included in the White House visit. He was in a remote location at the time. Although he arrived there on Saturday, Cejudo turned around and left on Tuesday in order to be in Washington, D.C. on time.
"I was in the Dominican Republic when they called and said it was going to happen," said Cejudo. "I had to take a truck loaded with chickens and goats to get to the airport. There were people who helped me to get there on time. When I got to the White House, I told people about all that I had to do to get there."
The reason that Cejudo, Pickens and 14 other Olympians made the visit was to help publicize Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The decision on which city will host the Olympics will be made in Copenhagen on October 2.
"This was huge. There were 100 video cameras there from so many stations. It was good publicity to support the Olympic movement and the Chicago 2106 bid," said Cejudo. "The President is on board. Now everybody else needs to support this. Chicago is his home town. President Obama wants the Olympics there."
When it was all over, Cejudo had another memorable experience.
"It was a day of inspiration. I was humbled by the experience," said Cejudo.
"I got a little star struck," said Cejudo of his meeting with the President. "When he spoke, everybody got quiet and listened. He was inspiring. It was amazing to hear him speak."
Cejudo was at the White House as part of a delegation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes who were there to support the Chicago bid for the 2016 Olympics.
Cejudo made sure to spend some time talking with the President directly.
"I introduced myself. I had a chance to pull him aside. I told him that he inspired me to be a better person. I also told him I was from Arizona, where his rival John McCain is from. He laughed about that," said Cejudo.
The President was also able to tell that Cejudo was a wrestler.
"He knew about wrestling," said Cejudo. "He saw my ears and said, 'You must be a wrestler.'"
This was the second time that Cejudo has been at the White House since his Olympic victory in Beijing, China last August. He was among a large group of Olympians who went to the White House to meet then-President George W. Bush on October 7, 2008.
"This was even better," said Cejudo. "There weren't as many people this time. The last time I was here, there were hundreds of Olympians. There were only a few of us there. I had a chance to shake the President's hand twice today. I had a chance to talk directly with him."
Cejudo's day started with a special appearance with young children at Sousa Middle School in Washington, D.C., along with 1984 Olympic champion Jackie Joyner-Kersee and paralympic track star April Holmes. The school has predominantly minority students, and Cejudo had a message for these children.
"I had a chance to share my testimony with them, how all things are possible," said Cejudo. "I grew up in a very similar situation as them. It was fun to be with them. We talked about the Olympic movement and how sports changed our lives."
Cejudo had some time to visit with fellow wrestler Bob Pickens, who was sixth at the 1964 Olympics in Greco-Roman.
"He was one of the first African-American Greco-Roman wrestlers," said Cejudo. "He also played with the Chicago Bears. I had a chance to speak with him. I was able to take some knowledge from him. He had been involved with wrestling for so long. I also know that he is doing great things for Chicago, working in the schools and in community centers."
Cejudo was able to tell many of the participants about his journey in order to participate in the activities. He was on vacation with friends in the Dominican Republic when the final word came to that he would be included in the White House visit. He was in a remote location at the time. Although he arrived there on Saturday, Cejudo turned around and left on Tuesday in order to be in Washington, D.C. on time.
"I was in the Dominican Republic when they called and said it was going to happen," said Cejudo. "I had to take a truck loaded with chickens and goats to get to the airport. There were people who helped me to get there on time. When I got to the White House, I told people about all that I had to do to get there."
The reason that Cejudo, Pickens and 14 other Olympians made the visit was to help publicize Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The decision on which city will host the Olympics will be made in Copenhagen on October 2.
"This was huge. There were 100 video cameras there from so many stations. It was good publicity to support the Olympic movement and the Chicago 2106 bid," said Cejudo. "The President is on board. Now everybody else needs to support this. Chicago is his home town. President Obama wants the Olympics there."
When it was all over, Cejudo had another memorable experience.
"It was a day of inspiration. I was humbled by the experience," said Cejudo.
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