Lilly King Reminds Us of the America We Want


I can’t help but to swell with pride when I see Lilly King at the Olympics.  The 19 year-old from Evansville, IN is the picture of what we dream our kids and our country should be.

Not intimidated by Russian powerhouse swimmer, Yulia Efimova, King challenged her in and out of the pool.  Efimova had been found guilty of doping but was allowed to compete in Rio because she won a last minute appeal – despite coming up dirty in a recent drug screening.  King made it clear that she was not a fan of athletes that use banned substances before her 100m breast stroke final, then backed it up in the pool by taking the gold away of Efimova.
Hometown Proud - Sign from a
business saluting Lilly King in
her hometown of Evansville, IN

It is King’s gallantry that inspires all of us to remember what America is all about – or what it should be.  It is about hometown heroes. It is the good in the good vs evil narrative.  Lilly King has given us an injection of American pride at a time where politics has soured us, and the threat of terrorism has left us overly cautious.

Thank you, Lilly, for allowing us escape the appalling stories of the day, and lose ourselves in proper patriotism – if only for a moment.  We appreciate you letting us know that there is still a such thing as an American hero and a fantastic role model for our kids.