Lindsey's blog
Christian Williams is a National level hammer thrower and member of the Australian Men's Lacrosse team. Williams is also a former U19 & U21 Australian team captain. Just recently he was chosen to be a torchbearer for the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay. He has overcome many obstacles as an athlete, but also as a human being, as he has struggled with heart failure and genetic heart disease. Currently, Williams is an athlete, motivational speaker and elementary school teacher. When asked why he joined Team Darfure, Williams said, "I joined Team Darfur because I believe that all children have the right to dream and make the most of their potential, in all walks of life. It is disturbing that the world sits back to watch the children of Darfur suffer. Instead of living their childhoods, they live in fear, suffer malnutrition and are subject to politically motivated genocide." "As athletes, we can give these children a voice on a global stage and help make a difference; so that they can live their dreams, just like us."
72 Team Darfur athletes are competing in this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing. You can send them messages of support through our Take Action page. We are so proud of all that our athletes have already accomplished. Here are a few of the messages fans have already sent:  "As Olympic athletes and heroes in your respective countries,
your actions matter and your voice carries weight. You have the
ability to engage and educate people on global issues of vital
importance. With your continued leadership, we can finally bring
peace to Darfur." - Tim Lynch
 Good luck as you compete in Beijing and spread the word about Darfur. Wishing you the best in both ventures! - Jennifer Fox "I've been an Olympic groupie for some thirty years and applaud you for your talent, skills, dedication and accomplishments. I hope the games are a wonderful event for you. Thank you for also having a social conscious and for caring about Darfur."
- Courtney Petersen
Read more of the messages of support that have been sent so far.
 US Olympic team captains voted Lopez Lomong, a Sudanese refugee and Team Darfur athlete, to lead the US Olympic team and carry the US flag at the opening ceremonies. Read the article here.
Lopez was also named Darfur Hero of August by Save Darfur. Read the article here. Joey Cheek and Team Darfur released the following statement on August 8: To see Lopez Lomong carry the flag into the opening ceremonies makes me proud to be an Olympian, and that the American team captains selected him reflects so much of what I love about the Olympic Spirit and Olympians. The Olympic Spirit is about coming together to set new records and achieve the impossible, about resolving our conflicts and celebrating our common humanity, and Lopez embodies that spirit. All of us at Team Darfur offer him our hearty congratulations.
The Chinese government revoked Joey Cheek's visa on Tuesday, preventing him from attending the Beijing Games. The Chinese government does not give reasons for denying or revoking visas. We also learned that Team Darfur decathlete Chris Boyles' visa was revoked on Monday. The move was condemned by the Bush administration and a White House official said on Wednesday that the U.S. embassy in Beijing will ask that the decision be reversed.
Wednesday's edition of the Boston Globe featured a biography piece on Team Darfur co-founder and president Joey Cheek. The feature covers Joey's unique path to becoming a human rights activist as well as his time spent training for and competing in the Olympics. "Speedskater Joey Cheek, 29, glides through T.F. Green International Airport as if he's in a race with himself, his long, thin torso leaning slightly forward when he walks. His Olympic gold medal is stashed in his backpack. He's in New England to give a motivational speech for a pharmaceutical company to help pay those pesky Princeton tuition bills. But he has his eyes on a bigger prize. Peace in Darfur, Sudan." Read the entire article here.
 Team Darfur member, Lopez Lomong, was recently named Darfur Hero of August by Save Darfur. Lomong says he feels a need to speak out about the genocide in Darfur because "a lot of people here don’t know what is going on in Sudan and I need to send a message as an athlete from Sudan." At age 6, Lopez was abducted from a Sudanese church by a militia that was training child soldiers. With the help of some older boys, he escaped through a hole in the fence and ended up in a refugee camp. He remained there for 10 years. Finally, he received a VISA to the US from an organization that sought to relocate 3,500 refugees. He attended Northern Arizona University, where he began pursuing his Olympic dreams. He will compete in the Beijing Olympics in the 1500 Men's Track event. We wish him the best of luck. Lomong knows first hand about the tragedies in Sudan and we are so proud that Save Darfur selected him as a Darfur hero. Read the full article here .
As you probably know, a bipartisan group of Senators introduced a Resolution, encouraging a cessation of violence and renewed peace efforts in Darfur. Now, you can help, too! Dream for Darfur has designed a petition calling upon Senators McCain and Obama to co-sponsor this Resolution. With their prominent role in the news right now, their support could increase awareness about the genocide in Darfur and help encourage serious actions towards obtaining peace. To sign the petition, go to the Dream for Darfur website. Dream for Darfur seeks to use the leverage of the Olympics to press China to bring security to Darfur.
The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) have launched the "Giving is Winning" Campaign, which is designed to encourage athletes and national Olympic Committees to give surplus sportswear to refugees. They have almost met their goal of 50,000 items and the items collected so far have been distributed to refugees in Rwanda, Tanzania, Chad, Moldova, Georgia and Panama. Many young refugees are born in or grow up in camps. As former Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergey Bubka, now chairman of the IOC Athletes Commission, said, "For them the gift of sportswear associated with famous athletes from across the Olympic spectrum can be an enormous morale-booster and a sign that the world does care. A sport uniform inspires refugees and connects them to the world of sport." Team Darfur is happy to see Olympians getting so involved in helping others! Read the full article here.
Think tank Foreign Policy in Focus published an article about Team Darfur and the difficulty of mixing politics and sports with regards to the upcoming Olympics. Joey Cheek spoke about his inspiration for starting Team Darfur and the successes and difficulties he has faced in speaking out about the violence in Darfur. Read the article here.
 On Wednesday, July 30, Team Darfur achieved an exciting benchmark towards our work on the Olympic Truce for Darfur! A group of bipartisan US Senators introduced a resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities and renewed efforts toward peace in Darfur, as well as in neighboring Chad and The Central African Republic. The Senators believe that the Olympic tradition provides an opportunity for China and the International Community to press for an end to the conflicts in Sudan. Team Darfur is excited that the following Senators introduced this crucial resolution: Russ Feingold (D-WI) Norm Coleman (R-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), John Kerry (D-MA), Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Tim Johnson (D-SD). We sincerely thank them for their support and activities towards ending the horrific genocide in Darfur. Here are what some of the Senators had to say about the Olympic Truce Resolution: Senator Feingold: "With the world watching, we must take advantage of the opportunity provided by the Olympic Games to recommit ourselves to ending the conflict in Darfur and the wider region."
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