Hokie ClubVirginia Tech track and field standout Queen Harrison, who competed inthe 400-meter hurdles in the 2008 Olympic Games, was one of 500Olympians and Paralympians to be honored at the White House on Oct. 7,by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush for theirathletic performances at the Games.
“It is always surreal tome to see something on television and then see it in person. So I feltthe exact same way when I met President Bush and the First Lady,â€Harrison said. “It was a once in a lifetime experience and I am sothankful I was able to take part in it.â€
The rising junior atVirginia Tech attended a reception dinner on Oct. 6 for all the Olympiccompetitors, and attended the ceremony the next day on the South Lawnof the White House.
“I always saw the White House on television,and I once visited Washington D.C. and saw it through a gate, but toactually be inside the White House and see up-close the places whereJohn F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton and all our other Presidents stayed androamed was really cool,†Harrison said.
Harrison, a Richmond,Va., native, qualified for the semifinals of the 400-meter hurdles atthe Beijing Games, by finishing fourth in her heat in the preliminarieswith a time of 55.96, on Aug. 17. In the semifinals, the Hermitage Highalum ran a 55.88 and missed earning a trip to the finals of the race byless than eight-tenths of a second. Harrison was only the second Techathlete to compete for the United States at an Olympics, and the firstHokie track and field athlete.
“Being around Olympians againbrought back missed memories of China,†Harrison said. “Meeting some ofthe Paralympians really opened my eyes. Some of the athletes werewounded in the [Iraq war], losing limbs, but somehow they were able toget over the emotional distress and go on to do great thingsathletically.â€
The three-time All-American will return to thetrack this indoor and outdoor season. Harrison placed third in the60-meter hurdles at the 2008 NCAA Championships in March inFayetteville, Ark.