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Joey Cheek
- 2006 Olympic champion in 500-meters, silver medalist in the 1000m; 2002 Olympic bronze medalist (1000m)
- 2006 World Sprint champion; 2005 World Sprint bronze medalist
- American record holder in 500-meter and 1000-meter (set at 2002 U.S. Olympic Trials)
- Claims he was 'a huge geek' in junior and senior high school, tells blogger Andrew Love that "I would probably have been chosen in school as least likely to participate in a sporting event."
- Listed in the "Cheek Family Chronicles," a 700-year history of famous Cheeks of America, England and Australia
- Cheeks didn't start focusing on the sprint races until he missed making the U.S. World Cup team in 2000 and entered the U.S. sprint trials for fun.
- He made the U.S. sprint team in his first attempt and competed at the 2000 World Sprint Championships. Cheek placed 18th overall, which catapulted him to becoming a full-time member of the World Cup team in 2000-2001.
- Like many other skaters, Cheek considers his parents to be the strongest influence on his career. They taught him a person can decide his or her own fate and by never giving up there is nothing that cannot be accomplished.
- In his spare time, Cheek enjoys playing the guitar, producing movies with fellow skaters, Kip and Cory Carpenter, and online investing.
- After skating is over, he would like to attend law school and begin a successful law practice in his native North Carolina.
- Some of his favorites: favorite book is "Enders Game" by Orson Scott Card; favorite band is The Dave Matthews Band; favorite food is blueberry pancakes; favorite move is self-produced "Spider Fang."
- Cheek broke two American records at the 2002 U.S. Olympic Trials in December, in the 1000-meters (1:07.98) and 500-meters (34.66), eclipsing marks set by Casey FitzRandolph earlier in the month at the Utah Olympic Oval.
- Builds potato guns, including one that can shoot a potato 275 yards.
After winning the 500-meters at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, Joey Cheek said he would donate his $25,000 bonus from the U.S. Olympic Committee to Right to Play, an organization of former Olympic, Paralympic and professional athletes worldwide who support using sport for development, health and peace. Right to Play is operated by Johann Olav Koss, the Norwegian who won three golds at the 1994 Lillehammer Games and inspired Cheek to take up speedskating.
Related Links
U.S. Olympic Fan Club: Support the next Joey Cheek ... Get a free speedskating pin!
Olympic Podcasts: Joey Cheek and others from Torino
Photo gallery: Olympic speedskater Joey Cheek
Wallpaper: Go here for Joey Cheek wallpapers
"I have been blessed by competing in the Olympics in speedskating. I am grateful that my family has supported me through all of this, coaches, friends and my country has supported me wholeheartedly. The United States Olympic Committee has been amazing. Without their support, none of the athletes who train and compete would be able to train and compete at this level. And so, I've always felt that if I ever did something big like this I wanted to be prepared to give something back. So ... I'm going to be donating the entire (Operation Gold) sum the USOC gives to me, which is $25,000."
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Height: 6'1
Born: 6/22/1979
Hometown: Greensboro, N.C.
Sport: Speed Skating
Event: 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m
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