"Well behaved women rarely make history." -Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Last week, in an article published by USA Today (and subsequently several other news outlets), myself and 9 other Olympic and Paralympic athletes were named as possible “troublemakers” that were subject to watch by the Chinese government during our time in Beijing for fear that we would protest or organize other actions of dissent in opposition to the Chinese government. I must say… if I wasn’t famous before…. I am now! Reactions have run the gamut, to include the following. Please note the sarcasm implicit in these comments.

Mom Blauwet: “Cheri Ann, were we being watched in China!? You’re father’s going to have a fit.”

Friend who works at BORP (Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program) in Berkeley, California: “We were going to invite you to be a kayak guide, but now we’re afraid of you.”

Friend from college at the U of Arizona: “You should get Che Blauwet t-shirts made.”

Public Relations office at Stanford Med School: “ABC 7 wants to interview to ask if you were being followed in China.”

Jennifer Howitt, fellow Paralympic troublemaker: “You know we have a file now.”

I think that an outward measure of success in this life should be if one is able to claim that they themselves are likely to have an FBI/CIA file. You gotta have one. It’s what the cool kids do.

What is so ridiculous about this news is the fact that most of us were given this label due to our support of Team Darfur, an organization that mobilizes Olympic and Paralympic athletes to utilize their voices in order to promote peace in Sudan. As athletes, we know there are mass atrocities occurring in this conflict zone, and we choose to not be silent, but rather, to encourage governments and international organizations to take action and promote intervention that can bring about peace in the region. In supporting Team Darfur, not a single one of us has made any claim or statement that has anything to do with China. On the contrary, the mission of the organization is to speak in terms of peace and diplomacy. We have always been directly instructed to focus entirely on our performance while we are at a competition, and to pay the utmost respect to our host nation and its organizers, volunteers, and citizens. In this way, we can continue to build upon our potential success as athletes and remain focused on our ultimate goal - to win medals! If all of this is the case, why should anyone associated with the Chinese government be concerned? Aren’t there more important things to worry about?

Indeed, the Games went off without a hitch, displaying the competency and commitment of the Beijing Organizing Committee and the incredible volunteer staff that gave so much of themselves to make our stay successful. To me, the bottom line is that we are athletes, and we have the right to compete. We also have the right, as citizens of the United States, to live a life free of censorship. Layered upon these basic tenets is our knowledge that, as mature adults, we owe our hosts the utmost respect for staging the incredible events and venues through which we can showcase our talents. What we do both on and off of the field should, and will, always occur with these principles in tact.

Viva la revolution! *smile*

Till next time,
Cheri