Joey Cheek
Joey first came to ice speedskating after being a successful in-line competitor for many years. After watching Dan Jansen in the 1994 Olympic Games, he decided he wanted to make the switch to ice. He qualified for his first Olympic Team in 2002 and captured a Bronze Medal in the 1000m distance. The following year, in 2003, he won Bronze in the 1000m and 1500m distances at the World Single Distance Championships. In 2005, he earned a spot on the podium by placing third in the World Sprint Overall Championships. He made his second Olympic Team in 2006 where he earned a Gold Medal in the 500m and a Silver Medal in the 1000m. He was awarded the honor of carrying the United States flag for the Olympic Closing Ceremonies. In this same year, he earned first place in the World Sprint Overall Championships. Along with his many successes on the ice, Joey graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Economics and Chinese. He is the co-founder of Team Darfur, an international coalition of athletes committed to raising awareness about bringing an end to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. The World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame honored him for his work in Darfur, he was the first recipient of the Heisman Humanitarian Award. He has also been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. He is the Founder and CEO of dailyhouse.com, a media outlet for sports that don’t always make the sports pages or TV highlights.