First lady brings the Olympic spirit to American University
Five-dozen elementary school children were the enthused competitors of a mini-Olympic games competition hosted by first lady Michelle Obama and Samantha Cameron, wife of David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, at American University yesterday.
The event, which featured tennis, basketball and soccer games, was held in AU's Bender Arena to promote both Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative and this summer’s London Olympics, at which Obama will lead the US delegation.
“The true spirit of the Games isn’t confined to just the two weeks of competition in the summer,” Obama said. Introducing a number of Olympians and Paralympians, many of which have struggled with disabilities, the First Lady asked the children to get moving.
“Moving can be dancing in the living room, it can be riding your bike, it can be walking your dog,” she said. “But if all these athletes can do what they do, then surely you guys can get moving.”
The first lady drew on the hardships of Kortney Clemons, who lost his leg in the Iraq War, but became a Paralympics track and field competitor. She told students how Dominique Dawes spent 40 hours a week in the gym and Lisa Leslie could be found on the basketball court every night.
“These are stories of triumph, of perseverance and sheer willpower that lie behind every Olympian and every Paralympian,” Obama said. “And that’s why these Games are important.”
Obama showed off her own skills as she battled the kids on the tennis court, and smiled at competitors as they played each other in soccer.
And as the Games came to a close, each of the three teams received medals and hugs from the First Lady before she posed with them in a group photo:
But although Obama addressed a younger crowd, the First Lady’s message carries over to all age groups – including college students.
Anita McBride, former Chief of Staff to Laura Bush and Executive in Residence at American University, said that activity keeps students healthy both physically and mentally.
“It really drives home the fact that a healthy lifestyle is important no matter at what stage you are in your life,” she said. “And I think what you’ve seen here is the coming together of an issue that is important to two incredibly important women.”
As Chief of Staff to a former First Lady, McBride has traveled around the world helping Bush promote her initiatives. She has witnessed the power of one woman’s voice, as well as the strength First Ladies gain when they collaborate. But what has stood out to her is every First Lady’s willingness to make a difference.
“All of them want to feel like they have used this temporary custodianship that they have of a very privileged position to really do something that has an impact and leaves behind a message for the American people,” she said.
Living a quiet life in the White House is nearly impossible when you’re in the public eye – but a First Lady tends to be self-motivated to set an agenda for herself, McBride said. For Laura Bush that included empowering Afghan women. For Michelle Obama, that includes fighting obesity.
The first ladies prove that individuals can have an impact – a message that college students should embrace.
And as Obama presented McBride with a gift for AU, that message rang clear.
A seedling from the iconic Jackson Magnolia tree on the south lawn of the White House will be planted in the university’s arboretum.
“Once it grows into a size that’s safe for planting, we’ll identify where it’s going to be,” McBride said. “And it will always be a memory of this visit.”
Nicole Glass is a senior at American University. She is a staff writer at her campus newspaper, The Eagle, and an intern at National Geographic Traveler Magazine. Visit her website to see her published works or follow her on Twitter.
This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.