 of the United States Thank you so much for having us here. It's an incredible pleasure I'd like to introduce you to our team if I may on my right. We have the Alpine team This is Cindy Nelson Kristen Cooper Tamara McKinney our trainer Topper Hageman Bob Harkins Bill Moral Mr.. President on this side. We have our Nordic team This is Bill Koch Terry Hage Peter Graves Michael Gallagher and Jim Hage This is just wonderful. Thank you so much for having us here It's may I say that these young men and women are ambassadors for sports and for this country around the world We think they're wonderful and we're so proud to be here and be a part of this entire event Well, we're proud to have you here Thank you. Thank you All these people who are here are some of those who have made this possible Your voluntary contributions and support and We're proud of you also That's wonderful. Now on behalf of the trustees Doc Steadman John McMillian and Tom Weisle the president of the US ski team and the team and me We would like to present you with a sweater of the US ski team And we would like to make you an honorary member of the team and I don't know how we'll do that But we're doing it Now I'd like to introduce Bill Koch who has a presentation Being the fervent admirer of the Regans that I am It gives me a very special pleasure to make this presentation When I was here 15 months ago I had the honor of being able to have a casual conversation with both the Regans And at that time Nancy had expressed a genuine interest in taking up the sport of cross-country skiing And I told her that I'd be only too honored to be able to ski with her sometime At any time that was most convenient for her And now I'm here again and I'd like to make it a little easier for her to take me up on my offer By supplying her with the ski equipment And I realized that she's going to be very busy over the next five years that she's first lady So if 1989 has to be the date, I can wait, that's fine And I'm kind of embarrassed that we don't have the boots and bindings yet But we had a little logistical problem but I've drilled the holes for the bindings already And they'll be hot on the heels of the skis, I guarantee you that I am very pleased to accept these four, I can tell you that very much And the truth of the matter is, ever since we once were exposed up at Lake Tahoe She has thought that yes, that looked like it'd be fun Now I don't know whether I'm going to go along on horseback Hey, alright, that was a good idea I thank you and I can't wait to present them Thank you very much I have to tell you that I think that I'll be able to help her with putting those bindings on Because this is an awful thing to confess and it makes me, it dates me by about 108 years In a small town in Illinois where I was growing up and there were a number of hills around Believe it or not, in those days barrel staves were available And we would get barrel staves and we would cut strips of rubber from inner tubes And tack them on and we tried to ski downhill on barrel staves I don't remember any of us ever making the bottom of the hill on the barrel staves But we made the bottom of the hill on that part of our carcass which seemed to land first Well, you're welcome here Before I even came over here I knew there were some skiers around today Because when I went out and passed the limo out there There was a think snow bumper sticker on it But I've been reading up on all of you And I noticed it said that being a skier means being away from home for long periods of time It means traveling at night so you can be at an event the next day It means long hours, it means competition and frequent disappointment As well as glorious victory You know something you might as well be in politics We have a lot in common And the whole nation, I identify with you and the whole nation identifies with you When you're racing under America's colors We know you're great not just because you so often win But because of the discipline and heart that it takes to do what you do You know better than anyone there's more to sports than winning medals It's the personal striving for excellence that spurs each of you on I'm told that after last season the United States can claim both the best man And the best woman Alpine skier in the world And we're also pleased to have with us here today The first American ever to win the World Cup in cross country skiing But I was thinking in terms of the time that you all commit The glory you experience is a very small part of it It is often hard and lonely work And I wanted you to know today that I appreciate the sacrifices you're making And on behalf of the nation I wanted to say thank you You know in acting among performers there is a tradition That when you really want to wish someone good luck on a performance Or like an opening night on Broadway We have a saying that I don't think it's appropriate for a ski team You say break a leg But let me just then say I won't use the expression But let me wish you all that it means to a performer And I haven't said the words Bless you all, God bless you and thank you all for being here