I have been enormously fortunate in my sixteen years as a competitive speedskater.  My family, friends, teammates and sponsors have all invested time, money, and emotion in me so that I could pursue my dream.

 

Without the support of others nothing great could ever be accomplished.  My gold and silver medal performances in Torino were more than just a lone effort.  When I won, I donated my Olympic bonus for two reasons.  I wanted to support a group that I believe in and I wanted to attempt to give a voice to a people who had none.

 

Here is a little more information about two of the groups that I am working with.  Please check them out, and if you think they are worthwhile, get involved.  I feel as if I did the right thing when I had my spotlight at the Olympics, I began to pay off a very large debt that I owe to the people who have helped me accomplish my dreams.  Now its time to helps someone else achieve theirs.

Right To Play is a non-governmental humanitarian organization that uses sport and play to aid in the development of children in the most disadvantaged areas of the world.

 

Translation:  In our country we take it for granted that children get to play.  Right To Play lets children play games and sports, and then uses those games to teach them lessons about HIV/AIDS, conflict resolution, gender equality, and works to improve social, physical, and mental development.

 

RTP is currently working in 23 countries and reaches more than 550,000 children per week.

 

Right To Play

Save Darfur Coalition

Even as I right this, a genocide that began three years ago rages on in the Darfur region of Sudan.  While I trained people were being forced from their homes and killed, while I competed those same citizens were attacked by helicopter gunships and raiding militias, and now, those people are still in camps, entirely dependent on outside aid for survival.  They cannot leave the camps for fear of being beaten, raped, or killed.  

 

This is the region to which I donated money, but they need more than money, they need our help to survive.  Please contact your local congressmen, representative, and news agencies and say that you want the people of Darfur to be helped.  

You don’t have to take my word for it,  I have begun working with a group called the Save Darfur Coalition.  I spoke at their “Rally to Stop Genocide” and I am an ardent supporter of the cause.  Check out their website for more information: