During a special event at the White House celebrating Women’s History Month, President Donald Trump recognized the remarkable achievements of Olympic bobsled champion Kaillie Armbruster Humphries, a six-time Olympic medalist. In a touching moment, Humphries presented Trump with the prestigious Order of Ikkos Medal, an award given to individuals who have made significant contributions to the success of Olympic athletes.
Humphries, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Canada, expressed her immense pride in representing her adopted country. She highlighted the emotional weight of her achievements, especially as she returned to competition and earned medals after facing challenges as a mother. Winning two bronze medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, she remarked, "The ultimate dream I had was to become a mom and then be able to stand on the Olympic podium. This year I got to do that with my one-and-a-half-year-old son. Being able to earn these two bronze medals, they feel like gold. They really do. He is my gold medal and will always be for my entire life."
In her heartfelt speech, Humphries expressed gratitude to President Trump for his policies that support families, particularly his efforts in expanding in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments and his executive order that prohibits biological men from competing in women's sports. She shared her personal journey, revealing that her son Aulden was born in June 2024 after she underwent two-and-a-half years of IVF treatments due to her diagnosis with stage IV endometriosis in 2021.
At 40 years old, Humphries debuted at the 2010 Olympics, where she competed for Canada in Vancouver. Following appearances in the Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 Olympics, she made the switch to Team USA in 2019 and became a U.S. citizen in 2021, five years after moving to the United States with her husband, Travis Armbruster.
During the 2026 Winter Olympics, Humphries secured two bronze medals: one in the women's monobob event on February 16, where Team USA's Elana Meyers Taylor took home the gold, and another in the two-woman bobsled event on February 21 alongside Jasmine Jones.
As part of Olympic tradition, athletes are allowed to present the Order of Ikkos medal to individuals who have significantly contributed to their Olympic journey. With tears in her eyes, Humphries honored President Trump with this medal, marking a unique occasion as she believes it to be the first such medal awarded to a president.
"Having my one-year-old son chase me around the Olympic podium, another huge honor and a dream come true," she shared during the event. "I want to encourage every single mother out there to follow your dreams and don’t let anybody put limits on what you believe you can do."
In response to the award, Trump expressed his admiration, stating, "I knew I liked her. That’s really nice." This ceremony not only celebrated Humphries' athletic achievements but also highlighted the importance of sports in empowering women and mothers, reinforcing the message that dreams can be fulfilled against all odds.
Source: USA TODAY News