Why Olympic bobsledder gifted medal to Trump as she issues tearful statement
Warning: This article contains discussion of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community which some readers may find distressing.
A Team USA Olympian bobsledder just handed Donald Trump a special medal of his own.
Now, winning bronze, silver, or gold at the Olympics is an incredible bucket-list achievement that most athletes can only dream of.
And when they accomplish such a monumental achievement, those on Team USA get the chance to recognise the people who helped them along the way.
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Winning Olympian and Paralympian athletes, as well as the medals they won, are handed an Order of Ikkos, which is a separate medal they can present to an individual who has been 'instrumental in their success'.
This could be a coach, mentor, teammate, family member, or basically anyone else who deserves it.
The honor was established by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics.
And for Kaillie Humphries, one of the biggest names in winter sports, she opted to give hers to none other than the US President, 79.
During the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Humphries won not one but two medals - bronze in the monobob before also securing bronze in the two-woman bobsled event.
The bobsledder, who is a naturalized US citizen from Canada, was recognized by the Republican leader during a White House Women’s History Month event on Thursday (12 March).
However, she decided to turn the tables and present the Order of Ikkos medal to Trump, in front of a room full of attendees.
She got emotional as she said: "'I'm so honored to present this, my Order of Ikkos medal to Donald Trump.
"We only get one, but I want to recognize the support and impact you've had on women's sports throughout the Olympic movement."
Humphries said to Trump that she specifically wanted to thank him for 'standing up to keep biological women in women's sports to keep the field of play safe and allow for fair competition'.
She continued: "Furthermore, because your policies are creating greater access to IVF, so families like mine can continue to grow as I look to become and expand my family again.
"I believe this actually makes you the first president in history to ever be awarded an Order of Ikkos as well."
She teared up while talking about her two-and-a-half-year journey to becoming a mother through IVF and how that impacted her sporting career.
Trump shouted, "I knew I liked her!" before posing for pictures with the sportswoman.
In February 2025, Trump signed two executive orders - one to 'direct policy recommendations to protect IVF access and aggressively reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for such treatments'.
The second was Executive Order 14201, also known as 'Keeping Men out of Women's Sports'.
This controversial order aimed to restrict transgender women from competing on women's sports teams.
It directs the Education Department to inform schools that allowing transgender athletes to compete will put them in violation of the federal law banning sex discrimination in schools.
Trump also threatened to 'rescind all funds from educational programs' and schools that don't comply.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected].
Topics: Donald Trump, Olympics, Sport, Politics, US News, News
Madison Burgess