Press Release - Monday, October 06, 2008
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Governor Blagojevich proclaims October 6, 2008 "Dawn Harper Day" in Illinois
CHICAGO - Governor Rod R. Blagojevich proclaimed today "Dawn Harper Day" in Illinois in recognition of the track & field runner raised in East St. Louis, Illinois. Harper won the gold medal in the women's 100-meter hurdle at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Her hometown of East St. Louis hosted a parade and public gathering today in her honor.
"Dawn Harper has achieved what many people can only dream of, by winning an Olympic gold medal. I am inspired by her determination and her will to succeed as she took each step that led to her victory," said Governor Blagojevich. "I proclaim Monday, October 6, 2008 as Dawn Harper Day in Illinois, and I hope that people from all over the state will join me in honoring her on her special day. We know that she will continue to be successful in her athletic pursuits."
Dawn Harper won a gold medal in the women's 100-meter hurdle at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. She raced with the best in the world and came out on top, finishing with a personal best time of 12.54 seconds.
Harper attended elementary, middle and high school in East St. Louis and is a 2002 graduate of East St. Louis Senior High School, where she was remembered as a good student and an excellent athlete. In 2006, Harper graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Harper's spectacular performance in the 2008 Olympics places her among Illinois' most celebrated athletes, while her accomplishments both on and off the track make her an excellent example of a homegrown role model.
The Governor's Proclamation:
WHEREAS, on August 19, 2008, Illinois native Dawn Harper won the gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China; and
WHEREAS, on that day, Harper raced the best in the world and came out on top, finishing with a personal best time of 12.54 seconds; and
WHEREAS, while Harper grew up in Belleville, Illinois, it was in East St. Louis that she came to know the person who taught her she could negotiate any hurdle, not only those laid out on a 100-meter track; and
WHEREAS, Harper was a young woman when she met her idol Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who had emerged from East St. Louis to be crowned an Olympic champion three times and a medalist six times; and
WHEREAS, Harper, a six-time state hurdles champion, was coached in high school by Nino Fennoy, who had also coached Joyner-Kersee. Like Joyner-Kersee, Harper saw track and field as her ticket to a good education and rewarding life; and
WHEREAS, Harper attended school at all three levels in East St. Louis and is a 2002 graduate of East St. Louis Senior High School, where she was remembered as a good student and an excellent athlete. In 2006, Harper graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles; and
WHEREAS, Harper's spectacular performance in the 2008 Olympics places her among Illinois' most celebrated athletes, while her accomplishments both on and off the track make her an excellent example of a homegrown role model; and
WHEREAS, a celebration in Harper's honor will be held in her hometown of East St. Louis on Monday, October 6, 2008, starting with a parade, and followed by a public gathering at the Clyde Jordan Stadium, and lunch in the Cafeteria of the High School:
THEREFORE, I, Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim October 6, 2008 as DAWN HARPER DAY in Illinois in recognition of Ms. Harper's extraordinary athletic accomplishment.
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