GET A LODHA THIS: Turning Other Cheek to Harvard

“I’m talking to you, Harvard Dean of Admissions William Fitzsimmons. Would it hurt, really, to give Joey’s application a second look? Just asking.”

These words, uttered by Bob Costas as the Olympics came to a close, epitomize the general media sentiment concerning Joey Cheek and his application to Harvard. Since the news broke in the weeks preceding the 2006 Winter Games, there is nary a newspaper or radio station that hasn’t tried to squeeze an interview out of the recently retired speedskater.

And from all the anti-Harvard news that has been generated by writers and talk show hosts around the country, one might think that Cheek’s agent has been working the phones, trying to generate enough publicity to get Byerly Hall to reconsider its decision.

But if you talk to Cheek, that’s far from what he wants.

“First of all, it was flattering that influential people like Bob Costas were supporting me,” Cheek says. “But on the other hand, I knew I was completely screwed. Harvard is an amazing university, and they’re not going to cave into pressure. In fact, all this will probably make them dig their heels in further.”

Contrary to what many may believe, Cheek has not been sitting around moping or scheming. After winning his two medals in Turin, the speedskater has been flying from city to city, working for the charitable association Right to Play and doing three to five interviews a day.

That’s not to mention all the praise and honors that have been heaped upon him.

Since carrying the United States flag in the closing ceremony of the Games, Cheek has been given the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Spirit Award, appeared on the Wheaties box, and met with President Bush and House Democratic whip Nancy Pelosi.

And his hometown of Greensboro, N.C., couldn’t be prouder of Cheek, declaring March 23 “Joey Cheek Day” while Greensboro College introduced the “Joey Cheek Scholarship,” a four-year honor to be awarded to a student from the Darfur region.

Joey Cheek is living the life of a rock star, and he knows it. But he also insists that it’s time for him to go back to school.

“I spent 10 years chasing my dream and my passion of going to the Olympics, and I’m very fortunate to be where I am today,” Cheek says. “But my intention from the very beginning was that I would spend all of my focus and energy on athletics, and when I was done, I would put all that energy into my academic goals.”

Byerly Hall may have passed on Cheek, but other premier academic institutions are still evaluating the high-profile applicant. Since he was young, Cheek has always dreamed of going to Harvard, but he’s not going to let a bump in the road slow him down.

Cheek has a very clear vision of where he’s going in life, and he asserts that his extra decade of maturity has him in a better position than most students entering college.

“Most people coming in pure out of high school change their minds several times over the years,” Cheek says. “But I’ve had a lot of years to evolve my thoughts, and economics is what I want to do.”

And the 26-year-old is fully aware that he won’t fit into the profile of typical college students. But he’s been talking to the institutions considering his application, trying to arrange for solutions—such as living in graduate housing—that might make the adjustment process a little easier.

As for extracurricular activities, Cheek wants to get involved in organizations dealing with youth activism in politics. The ever-increasing power of communication inspires him, and he has some ideas about the centralization of student lobbying that he wants to develop.

But when it comes to athletics, the Olympic medalist avers that he won’t be joining any intramural sports teams.

“If you ever saw me play basketball, you’d know why I speedskate,” Cheek admits with a laugh. “If I do play sports, it will be for fun. I’m not going to be one of those 40-year-old guys who’s reliving their youth.”

On the academic side, Cheek is not worried about going back to school. He understands Byerly Hall’s concerns about how he would handle the workload, but he also insists that he has the inner drive and desire to succeed at any level.

“I wouldn’t have applied if I couldn’t handle the workload,” Cheek says. “Even with speedskating, I was never the most talented athlete, but I’m very capable and very good at improving my weaknesses.”

The thought of coming to Cambridge still lingers in the back of his mind. Cheek confesses that the original plan was always to go somewhere else for a year and then move to Harvard. The admissions office told him that he’d be a great transfer student once he got readjusted to the pace of academic life.

But a few months removed from the fateful day he received the rejection letter, Cheek contends that he doesn’t want to commit to anything too hastily.

“To an extent, going to Harvard was a dream,” he explains. “But at this point, I don’t want to make that decision right now. If I do end up somewhere else, and I’m really happy, is it worth uprooting myself for the unknown?”

And then, of course, there’s always the fact that Cheek stands at the pinnacle of his former sport. Having reached the Olympic awards podium twice in February, Cheek is retiring at a time when he is one of the best speedskaters in the world.

So will Joey Cheek ever return to the sport he once dominated?

“I couldn’t rule it out entirely,” Cheek admits. “The lifestyle is amazing. I’m outdoors a lot, I’m traveling all around the world, and I have amazing friends.

“But I have other goals in life, and I have other ambitions. You can’t skate forever.”

—Staff writer Karan Lodha can be reached at klodha@fas.harvard.edu. His column appears every third Tuesday.