Weekly Address: Celebrating the Summer Olympics and Paralympics

Hi, everybody. Today, I want to take a break from the back-and-forth of campaign season, and talk about something thats brought us all together this week the Summer Olympics. These games remind us that for all our differences, were Americans first. And we could not be prouder of the men and women representing our country in London, in both the Olympics and in the Paralympics. Last weekend, Michelle led the American delegation to London and reaffirmed the special relationship we share with our strongest ally, Great Britain. She met with the Queen, and with Prime Minister Camerons wife, Samantha. She spent some time thanking our brave service members and military families. And, of course, she took in as many events as she could to cheer on our athletes. Ive got to admit I was a little jealous she got to go. But like many of you, I caught as many events as I could, jumping off the couch for a close race, or a perfect vault. I watched the wonderful young women of our gymnastics team recapture the team gold for America, and I was filled with pride watching Gabby Douglas win the all-around gold with incredible poise and grace. I watched our swimmers win a haul of medals, and Michael Phelps become the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time. I saw our womens soccer team power through the competition. And Im just as proud of all our athletes in sports that dont always get as much attention. The U.S. womens eight continued its rowing dominance with another gold medal. Kayla Harrison won Americas first-ever gold medal in Judo, and Marti Malloy won a bronze. Kim Rhode became the first American to win individual medals in five straight Olympics with her gold in skeet shooting; and her teammate, Army Sergeant Vincent Hancock, won his second skeet gold. I also thought of the truly difficult journeys that many of our athletes have made. Some have faced personal loss, or beaten cancer. Some have worked long shifts at multiple jobs to feed their Olympic dream. And some have done the impossible. Less than four years ago, Bryshon Nellum was shot three times in his legs. But this week, hell run the 400 meters. And as a boy, Lopez Lomong fled war and persecution and life as a refugee one of the Lost Boys of

Sudan. Todays hes an American and representing his country at the Olympics for the second time. So its no surprise America is vying for the top of the medal count. But its not the medal count alone that inspires us most of our athletes wont claim a medal at all. Its the character of the men and women who compete for those medals. Its their hard work and sacrifice the countless hours in the gym, in the pool, on the track. Its their dogged perseverance and unyielding determination, through disappointment and triumph alike. Its that unconquerable spirit that American spirit that says even though we may have very different stories to tell; even though we may not look alike or talk alike or be dealt the same hand in life if we work hard, we can achieve our dreams. We can make it if we try. We are one people, with common values and ideals; we celebrate individual excellence, but recognize that only together can we accomplish great and important things we cannot accomplish alone. Thats why we watch. Thats why we cheer. Thats why we come together, for two weeks in summer, and swell with pride at the incredible things our fellow citizens can do. So to all our Olympic and Paralympic athletes whether youve already competed or have yet to compete your country could not be prouder of you. Thank you for presenting the best of America to the rest of the world. And, thank you for becoming new role models to our children mine included and inspiring them to believe that if they work hard and do their best, they can achieve great things, too. Go get em this week, Team USA. We cant wait to welcome you home. God bless you, and God bless America. ###

[PRESIDENTIAL WEEKLY ADDRESS ASSESSMENT PHASE A.a START OF]

Weekly Address: Celebrating the Summer Olympics and Paralympics

hi \'h(-)\ interj [ME hy] (15c) used esp. as a greeting

Hi, everybody. Today, I want to take a break from the back-and-forth of campaign season, and talk about something thats brought us all together this week the Summer Olympics. These games remind us that for all our differences, were Americans first. And we could not be prouder of the men and women representing our country in London, in both the Olympics and in the Paralympics.
[ Old English e, earlier se < Indo-European]

1weekend \'wk-"end\ n (1638) : the end of the week ; specif: the period between the close of one working or business or school week and the beginning of the next 2weekend vi (1901) : to spend the weekend ~ing in the country 3weekend adj (1935) : active in a specified role only on weekends or part-time a ~ father ~ athletes

Last weekend, Michelle led the American delegation to London and reaffirmed the special relationship we share with our strongest ally, Great Britain. She met with the Queen, and with Prime Minister Camerons wife, Samantha.
meeting (plural meetings) [ Old English mtan "come upon" < Germanic, "meeting"]

noun

1. gathering of people for discussion: an occasion when people gather together to discuss something 2. group at meeting: the people attending a meeting The speaker stood up to address the meeting.

thank \'thak\ vt [ME, fr. OE thancian; akin to OE thanc gratitude more at thanks] (bef. 12c) 3. occasion when people meet: an occasion when somebody encounters somebody else, either accidentally or by arrangement 1 : to express gratitude to ~ed her for the present used in the phrase thank you usu. without a subject to politely express 4. occasion for worship: a regular occasion when a group of people, gratitude ~ you for your consideration or sometimes to especially Quakers, gather for worship emphasize a preceding statement esp. by implying that it is not subject Microsoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft to question likes her job just fine, thank you used in such phrases as thank God, thank goodness usu. without a Corporation. All rights reserved. subject to express gratitude or more often only the speaker's or writer's pleasure or satisfaction in something 2 : to hold responsible had only himself to ~ for his loss thanker n

She spent some time thanking our brave service members and military families. And, of course, she took in as many events as she could to cheer on our athletes.
[15th century. Via Latin < Greek athlts < athlein "contend for a prize"]

1take \'tk\ vb, took \'tk\ taken \'t-kn\ taking [ME, fr. OE tacan, fr. ON taka; akin to MD taken to take] vt(bef. 12c) 1 : to get into one's hands or into one's possession, power, or control: as a : to seize or capture physically took them as prisoners b : to get possession of (as fish or game) by killing or capturing c (1): to move against (as an opponent's piece in chess) and remove from play (2): to win in a card game able to ~ 12 tricks d : to acquire by eminent domain

[14th century. < Latin admittere "let go into" < mittere "let go"]

Ive got to admit I was a little jealous she got to go. But like many of you, I caught as many events as I could, jumping off the couch for a close race, or a perfect vault.
1can \kn, 'kan also 'ken; dial 'kin\ vb, past could \kd, 'kd\ pres sing [Assumed Old English wccan indic.), fr. OE; akin to OHG kan Germanic] & pl can [ME (1st & 3d sing. pres. "keep watch, be awake" < (1st & 3d sing. pres. indic.) know, am able, OE cnwan to know more at know] vt(bef. 12c) 1gymnastic \jim-'nas-tik\ adj (1574) : of 1 obs: know understand or relating to gymnastics : athletic 2 archaic: to be able to do, make, or accomplish gymnastically \-ti-k(-)l\ adv viarchaic: to have knowledge or skill

I watched the wonderful young women of our gymnastics team recapture the team gold for America, and I was filled with pride watching Gabby Douglas win the all-around gold with incredible poise and grace.
1grace \'grs\ n [ME, fr. AF, fr. L gratia favor, charm, thanks, fr. gratus pleasing, grateful; akin to Skt gti he praises] (12c) 1 a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification b : a virtue coming from God c : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace
[ Old English < Indo-European] < Earth Resource

[ Old English becuman < 1swim \'swim\ vb, swam \'swam\ swum \'swm\ swimming Germanic] [ME swimmen, fr. OE swimman; akin to OHG swimman to swim] vi(bef. 12c) 1 a : to propel oneself in water by natural means (as movements of the limbs, fins, or tail) b : to play in the water (as at a beach or swimming pool) I watched our swimmers win a haul of medals, and Michael Phelps become the most decorated 2 : to move with a motion like that of swimming : glide a cloud Olympic athlete of all time. I saw our womens soccer team power through the competition. swam slowly across the moon [Pre-12th century. < Old French prud < Latin prodesse "be beneficial," literally "be for" < esse "be"] [Late 19th century. < Assoc., abbreviation of association (in association football) + -er, suffix added to shortened forms of words]

And Im just as proud of all our athletes in sports that dont always get as much attention. The U.S. womens eight continued its rowing [air] dominance with another gold medal. Kayla Harrison won Americas first-ever gold medal in Judo, and Marti Malloy won a bronze.
1bronze \'brnz\ vt, bronzed bronzing (1645) : to give the appearance of bronze to a bronzed sculpture ; also: tan 2 bronzer n 2bronze n, often attrib, [F, fr. It bronzo] (1739) 1 a : an alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements b : any of various copper-base alloys with little or no tin [ Old English :becuman <or artifact of bronze 2 a sculpture Germanic] 3 : a moderate yellowish brown 4 : a bronze medals in five straight Olympics competition Kim Rhode became the first American to win individualmedal awarded as the third prize in awith

her gold in skeet shooting; and her teammate, Army Sergeant Vincent Hancock, won his second skeet gold.
teammate \'tm-"mt\ n (1915) : a fellow member of a team 1gold \'gld\ n, often attrib, [ME, fr. OE; akin to OHG gold gold, OE geolu yellow more at yellow] (bef. 12c) 1 : a yellow malleable ductile metallic element that occurs chiefly free or in a few minerals and is used esp. in coins, jewelry, and dentures see element table 2 a (1): gold coins (2): a gold piece b : money c : gold standard 1

[ Old English ht < Germanic]

I also thought of the truly difficult journeys that many of our athletes have made. Some have faced personal loss, or beaten cancer. Some have worked long shifts at multiple jobs to feed their Olympic dream.
1work \'wrk\ n [ME werk, work, fr. OE werc, weorc; akin to OHG werc work, Gk ergon, Av varzem activity] (bef. 12c) 1 : activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something: a : sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an objective or result b : the labor, task, or duty that is one's accustomed means of livelihood c : a specific task, duty, function, or assignment often being a part

impossible [im pssb'l]

adjective

1. not possible: not able to exist or be done an impossible task 2. too difficult: very difficult to deal with and apparently without a solution The situation was impossible: I couldn't be honest without

offending one of them.

3. not endurable: unbearably difficult or not possible to endure The humidity was impossible. 4. not believable: ridiculous or unreasonable, because not able to be true

And some have done the impossible. Less than four years ago, Bryshon Nellum was shot three Microsoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 war times in his legs. But this week, hell run the 400 meters. And as a boy, Lopez Lomong fledMicrosoft Corporation. and persecution and life as a refugee one of the Lost BoysAll rights reserved. hes an of Sudan. Todays American and representing his country at the Olympics for the second time.
represent \"re-pri-'zent\ vb [ME, fr. AF representer, fr. L repraesentare, fr. re- + praesentare to present] vt(14c) 1 : to bring clearly before the mind : present a book which ~s the character of early America 2 : to serve as a sign or symbol of the flag ~s our country 3 : to portray or exhibit in art : depict 4 : to serve as the counterpart or image of : typify a movie hero who ~s the ideals of the culture 5 a : to produce on the stage b : to act the part or role of

[15th century. < French, past participle of surprendre "overtake" < sur- "over" + Latin prehendere "seize"]

So its no surprise America is vying for the top of the medal count. But its not the medal count alone that inspires us most of our athletes wont claim a medal at all. Its the character of the men and women who compete for those medals.
1character \'ker-ik-tr, 'ka-rik-\ n [ME caracter, fr. L character mark, distinctive quality, fr. Gk charaktr, fr. charassein to scratch, engrave; perh. akin to Lith erti to scratch] (14c) 1 a : a conventionalized graphic device placed on an object as an indication of ownership, origin, or relationship b : a graphic symbol (as a hieroglyph or alphabet letter) used in writing or printing c : a magical or astrological emblem d : alphabet e (1): writing printing (2): style of writing or printing (3): cipher f : a symbol (as a letter or number) that represents information ; also: a representation of such a character that may be accepted by a computer

[ Old English weorc < Indo-European]

Its their hard work and sacrifice the countless hours in the gym, in the pool, on the track. Its their dogged perseverance and unyielding determination, through disappointment and triumph alike.
disappointment [dss pyntmnt] (plural disappointments)

unconquerable \"n-'k-k(-)r-bl\ adj (1582) 1 : incapable of being conquered : indomitable an ~ will 2 : incapable of being surmounted ~ difficulties unconquerably \-bl\ adv

noun

1. feeling of being let down: a feeling of sadness or frustration because something was not as good, attractive, or satisfactory as expected, or because something hoped for did not happen 2. something disappointing: something or somebody that disappoints somebody, or an occasion when somebody is disappointed 3. frustration: the failure to attain hopes or wishes

Microsoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Its that unconquerable spirit that American spirit that says even though we may have very different stories to tell; even though we may not look alike or talk alike or be dealt the same hand in life if we work hard, we can achieve our dreams.
[ Old English < Germanic] [13th century. Origin ?]

[ Old English macian < Indo-European, "kneading"]

We can make it if we try. We are one people, with common values and ideals; we celebrate individual excellence, but recognize that only together can we accomplish great and important things we cannot accomplish alone.
[ Old English ing "assembly" < Germanic, "time"]

accomplish \-'km-plish, -'km-\ vt [ME accomplisshen, fr. AF accompliss-, stem of accomplir, fr. VL *accomplre, fr. L ad- + complre [ME up more at complete] (14c) 1cheer \'chir\ n to fillchere face, cheer, fr. AF, face, fr. ML cara, 1 : to bring kara head, face effort have much to ~ prob. fr. Gk about (a result) by more at cerebral] (13c)today 2 : obs: face b archaic: facial expression 1 a to bring to completion : fulfill we can ~ the job in an hour 2 : state of mind or heart : spirit be of good ~ Mt 9:2(AV) 3 to succeed mind and feeling : animation gaiety 3 :: lightness of in reaching (a stage in a progression) would starve before ~ing half the distance W. 4 : hospitable entertainment : welcome H. Hudson 1922 5 : food and drink for a feast : fare 6 : something that gladdens words of ~ 7 : a shout of applause or encouragement

Thats why we watch. Thats why we cheer. Thats why we come together, for two weeks in summer, and swell with pride at the incredible things our fellow citizens can do.
[13th century. < Anglo-Norman citezein < Old French citeain < Latin civitat- (see city)]

Paralympics \"pa-r-'lim-piks\ n pl [paraplegic + Olympics] (1953) : a series of international contests for athletes with disabilities that are associated with and held following the summer and winter Olympic Games called also Paralympic Games Paralympian \-p-n\ n Paralympic \-pik\ adj So to all our Olympic and Paralympic athletes whether youve already competed or have yet to compete your country could not be prouder of you.
[13th century. Via French < Latin praesentare "make present" < praesent- (see present2)] [13th century. < Old French cuntre < assumed Vulgar Latin (terra) contrata "(land) lying opposite" < Latin contra "against"]

Thank you for presenting the best of America to the rest of the world. And, thank you for becoming new role models to our children mine included and inspiring them to believe that if they work hard and do their best, they can achieve great things, too.
inspire \in-'sp(-)r\ vb, inspired inspiring [ME, fr. AF & L; AF inspirer, fr. L inspirare, fr. in- + spirare to breathe] vt(14c) 1 a : to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration b : to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on was particularly inspired by the Romanticists c : to spur on : impel motivate threats English tam < ~ people to [ Old don't necessarily Indo-European, "to lead"] work d : affect seeing the old room again inspired him with nostalgia

Go get em this week, Team USA. We cant wait to welcome you home.
welcome \'wel-km\ vt, welcomed welcoming [ME, fr. OE welcumian, wylcumian, fr. wilcuma, n.] (bef. 12c) 1 : to greet hospitably and with courtesy or cordiality 2 : to accept with pleasure the occurrence or presence of ~s danger welcomer n

[ Old English bltsian < Germanic]

God bless you, and God bless America. ### [PRESIDENTIAL WEEKLY ADDRESS ASSESSMENT PHASE A.a END OF]