Team USA Olympians And Paralympians Honored In Washington, D.C.

By Todd Grasley for DyeStat

Photos courtesy of Teahna Daniels

Team USA Olympians and Paralympians were in for a special treat Wednesday when they visited the White House.

More than 600 athletes that competed in both the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics were honored at a ceremony featuring President Biden and his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. 

Among the 600 in attendance were several medalists and a handful of track and field athletes including Aleia Hobbs, Raevyn Rogers, Gabby Thomas, Ajee' Wilson, Bryce Hoppel, Donald Scott, Reggie Jagers III, and sprinter Teahna Daniels.

Daniels, the former University of Texas standout who finished seventh at the Olympic Games, was happy to make the trip.

"Team USA sent out an email to all the Olympian inviting us there from Sunday-Wednesday," she explained. "They asked what days we wanted to participate and each day had an agenda of interactive and networking opportunities, but on the final day we visited the White House."

Daniels flew in Tuesday morning, attended an event on Capitol Hill, which featured speeches from state senators and a celebration at the hotel later that night.

"The celebration was nice," she said. "It was great to see everyone in their best outfits and hanging out with some of my friends."

On Wednesday, the trip commenced with a visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue where the athletes took a tour of the White House and then were directed to an area where President Biden spoke and congratulated them for representing Team USA.

"It was an amazing experience being able to have those interactions with the President and Vice President," Daniels noted. "I told Vice President Kamala Harris that I was proud of her for being a representation for black women and women in general for the position she holds. In return, she told me she was proud of me as well. That was pretty cool to hear."

What trip to the White House would be complete without a photo opportunity?

"Of course, I did meet the president and took a selfie with him and the First Lady."

Daniels added that this experience is one she will never forget and will use as inspiration for the youth in her community and around the country.

"This is definitely something I want to tell my kids and grandkids about one day, but for now I’m glad to be a representation to the kids in Orlando and everywhere to make the best out of the life they live," she said. "You never know where life will take you if you continue to bet and believe in yourself."