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A native of Greensboro, NC, Joey Cheek grew up as an inline skater and made the switch to the ice in 1995. Cheek began his ice career as an "Allround" or distance skater but later switched to the shorter sprint distances, where he really began to shine. A bronze medal winner in the 1,000 meter event at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, Cheek fulfilled a lifelong dream at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy, where he won gold in the 500 meters and silver in the 1,000 meters (read the Olympic recap here). That same season Cheek won the World Sprint Championships and became the first-ever recipient of US Speedskating's 'Eric Heiden Athlete of the Year' award. Perhaps Cheek’s most notable effort, however, began off the ice when he made the remarkable gesture of donating $40,000 in winnings to Right To Play, an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play as a tool to help young people in the most disadvantaged areas of the world (read about that press conference here). In April, he visited Zambia to see the organization’s work first-hand (read his Zambia journal here). Cheek’s donation announcement in Torino was quickly followed by his call to action to others in support of the people of the Darfur region of the Sudan. His generosity inspired corporations and individuals alike; to date hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for the region. Cheek continues to work to call attention to Darfur on an ongoing basis. His influence in doing so earned him spot on Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People list (May 2006 issue) and recognition at the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative where Joey officially launched his personal campaign to take action for Darfur; Team Dafur.
Athletic Accomplishments:
When he's not skating...
Public Speaking An enthusiastic and talented public speaker, Joey is not shy about sharing his Olympic experience, the challenges he's overcome and most importantly, "What I've learned along that way that is far more important than a medal of any color." He has performed numerous public speaking engagements/personal appearances for; Xerox, Samsung, ADT, Nike, Qwest, Coca-Cola, Bank of America, John Hancock, TIAA-CREF, Lenovo, Jet-Set Sports, Visa, US Olympic Committee and numerous colleges and universities. Other: Began skating in 1995 after changing from inline skating to speedskating...felt needed change from inlines...was a junior national champion as an inliner...set junior national records in the 1500 and 3000 meters...a member of two junior world inline teams...parents are strongest influence. Credits them for instilling a strong work ethic, to enjoy life, and to attack every challenge to the best of ability...enjoys playing the guitar (see photo), going to clubs with teammates Kip Carpenter and Nick Pearson, and building and shooting potato guns...hopes to attend law school and have own MTV show...favorite book is "Enders Game" by Orson Scott Card...The Dave Matthews Band is favorite musical performer...lists mom's chicken and mushroom dish as favorite food...favorite move is "Dazed and Confused." Personal Info:
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