Volleyball Olympians and Paralympians got to meet President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday.
Members of all four US beach teams that competed in Rio in August were in attendance, medals in hand. Phil Dalhausser, Jake Gibb, Casey Patterson, Lauren Fendrick, Brooke Sweat, and April Ross made it to Washington, DC, for the event.
Members of the women’s sitting team, which won gold at the Rio Paralympics, were also there.
Kelsey Robinson, a member of the Olympic women’s team, covered the event on Snapchat for USA Volleyball.
Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings won bronze in Rio. Dalhausser/Nick Lucena tied for fifth in the men’s tournament. Gibb/Patterson tied for 19th, as well as Fendrick/Sweat. Both the men’s and women’s indoor teams won bronze.
The US topped the overall Olympic medal count with 46 golds.
The athletes toured the White House, met other Olympians and Paralympians, took selfies, and shook hands with President Obama, Michelle Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden.
“Remember that when somebody is watching you for the first time and they see how hard you work and what you accomplish, and they feel inspired, they feel like they can take any challenge on — what you do has ripples all across the country,” Obama said during his remarks.
Here’s a roundup of what it was like to tour the White House and meet the president, as told by the Olympians’ and Paralympians’ social media posts:
Yesterday we had the amazing honor of being invited to the White House where we had the privilege of meeting President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, & VP Joe Biden! It is a day we will never forget! 🇺🇸🏐🏅
Posted by USA Women’s National Sitting Volleyball Team on Friday, September 30, 2016
Snapchatting our @TeamUSA visit!! (Username: LaurenFendrick) pic.twitter.com/L8imZlX06y
— Lauren Fendrick (@LaurenFendrick) September 29, 2016
#TeamUSAinDC pic.twitter.com/7xcMIsDTFY
— Kelsey Robinson (@Krobin32) September 29, 2016
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