Cheek, 26, carries on a recent Winter Olympic trend of speedskaters being selected to carry the U.S. Flag in either the Opening or Closing Ceremonies. Teammate Chris Witty (West Allis, Wis.) was chosen to lead the U.S. Team into the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 10. In 2002, short track speedskater Amy Peterson was elected to carry the U.S. Flag during the 2002 Opening Ceremonies in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"I feel like I’m not really worthy," said Cheek. "It’s a wonderful honor and I’m thrilled that it happened. I really never imagined it would. When Chris [Witty] carried the Opening Ceremonies flag, I was really a big supporter of her doing it and I was so excited for her because I felt like she’s a veteran who’s done so many things over the years. I did not think I would have ever been considered. It’s an honor and I’m humbled by it."

Cheek is part of a U.S. men's team that has earned six medals (to date). He captured Olympic gold Monday, Feb. 13 in the men's 500m, while adding a silver to his collection in the 1000m Saturday, Feb. 18. Cheek also had a ninth-place finish in the 1500m. Cheek was also a 2002 bronze medalist in the 1000m.

"I feel blessed by the honor," added Cheek. "I’ve worked hard for a lot of years, but everyone works hard for a lot of years. Every single person that walks around the village has put in time, effort, sweat and tears, and their family has sacrificed for them. You always dream it would come together and it has. I don’t even know if it has hit me yet, but it’s a great experience, something I’ll remember forever."

In a sign of extraordinary support for children in disadvantaged areas around the world, Cheek announced upon winning his medal that he would donate his U.S. Olympic Committee incentive funding to the charity organization Right To Play and asked other sponsors and supporters to match his contributions. With $40,000 donated by Cheek, donations from corporations and individuals have been coming in.

Right To Play is an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play as a tool for the development of children and youth in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. Four-time Olympic gold medalist in speedskating, Johann Olav Koss, is the President and CEO of Right To Play.

"I really hoped, regardless of my outcome, that I’d be able to inspire other people to contribute," Cheek said. "What little bit I could do is a small drop in the bucket as compared to what many people can do. So that was an important part for me, and that’s what I hoped would happen."

“From Right To Play, from the children in disadvantaged places around the world that benefit from our sport and play programs, and from me personally, I want to sincerely thank Joey Cheek for making this incredible commitment,” said Koss. “To see such an accomplished athlete do his best on the ice and use that to help the over 500,000 children around the world that currently benefit from our programs, is truly inspiring.”

Cheek began skating in 1995 after changing from inline skating to speedskating. As an inline skater, he was a junior national champion and had set junior national records in the 1500- and 3000-meters as well as being a member of two junior world inline teams.

Only three years after making the switch, Cheek became the 1998 U.S. Junior Speedskating overall champion.

In 2005, Cheek capped off the season with a bronze medal in the World Sprint Championships and was the U.S. Sprint Champion.

Cheek and other U.S. Olympians will join delegation leaders Jim Scherr, U.S. Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer, and Jim McCarthy, U.S. Olympic Team Chef de Mission, for a 12 noon press conference Saturday, Feb. 25 in the Sala 500 Conference Room at the Main Press Center.