Girls squealed and shouted from third-floor windows when he arrived on campus and waved. Former teachers and coaches hugged him, exchanging hearty laughs and saying how proud he made them in Beijing.
Denver East High School grad David Oliver, who captured an Olympic bronze medal Aug. 21 in the 110-meter hurdles, made a triumphant return to his old school Friday for an assembly that wowed the student body and thrilled the faculty.
“I cried every time I saw you on TV,” teacher Pat Walker told Oliver. “I’m going to cry now.”
Oliver, who graduated in 2000, was greeted by a drum roll when he entered a jam-packed auditorium. The honor choir sang for him and cheerleaders took the stage to give him a special cheer (“He’s No. 1!”).
The assembly saw a video that included pictures of Oliver in an East football uniform and running on the school’s old dirt track, which has since been replaced by a modern synthetic oval. The five-minute video showed his yearbook photos and the interview he did on NBC right after he won his Olympic medal.
“It just feels good to be back within the walls of East High School,” Oliver told the assembly. “Track and field is a lot like life — it’s a series of falls and rebounds, you fall down and get back up. Keep the hard work up, and don’t let anybody deter you from what your dreams will be. Listen to the people who have your best interests at heart, and don’t let anyone lead you astray.”
When the assembly ended, dozens of students mobbed him. Cellphones came out for pictures.
“I got his autograph!” freshman Shauntell Williams said, her hands trembling.
Also in attendance were Oliver’s mother, Brenda Chambers, her parents and her sister, along with city and state dignitaries. Chambers was a hurdler for the University of Colorado.
“Our students have so many role models that are up there on pedestals, on the movie screen, on television, on the professional playing fields,” principal John Youngquist said. “To have someone here to tell them the story of the steps it took him to get there and be successful is incredibly important to us and our students.”
John Meyer: 303-954-1616 or jmeyer@denverpost.com
