Sept. 7, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 7, 2008
Texas A&M Athletics

Aggie Olympic Medalists to Appear on Oprah Monday

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M Olympic medalists Stacy Sykora and Christine Marshall will appear on the season premiere of the "Oprah Winfrey Show", airing Monday at 4 p.m. on CBS.

Sykora, A&M's first three-time Olympian, won a silver medal as a member of the U.S. Olympic Women's Volleyball Team. Marshall, the first A&M swimmer to make a U.S. Olympic swim team, swam in the prelims in the 800-meter freestyle. U.S. went on to win a bronze medal.

"It was so cool to meet Oprah," Sykora said following the show's taping on Sept. 3. "She was so sincere and enthusiastic to meet us all. She gladly took the time to take pictures with each of us. I even asked her if I could give her a hug, and she gave me a huge warm embrace.

"Oprah is such a powerful woman, and all the things that she does for women is incredible. I never thought I would ever meet her, much less stand on stage with her."

More than 175 U.S. Olympic medalists appear on the show, which was staged at Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago's Millennium Park. Chicago is bidding to host the 2016 Olympic Games.