John Hickenlooper: Winter Olympics 2022 bid could bring Colorado together

By Sam Levin Mon., Jul. 2 2012 at 3:59 PM

Categories: Politics, Sports

Continued from page 1

barack obama john hickenlooper waldo canyon fire.jpeg

Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service/Kari Greer

Hickenlooper, second from left, with President Barack Obama in Colorado Springs on Friday.

Wildfires came up during Hickenlooper's speech about education and early literacy. According to him, "The fires have been challenging for everyone in the state. You take it as a community burden. It was very powerful for me that President Obama came. I drove around El Paso County and Colorado Springs for three hours with him last week, and to watch his ability to lift up, inspire firefighters and first responders.

"He said, 'We can supply you with resources. We can give you the training. But we can't teach you courage,' and...you could just see everyone, they all just rose up off their feet."

Asked to elaborate earlier today, Hickenlooper said, "[Obama] is just such an impressive person. He's so grounded. He's just so real. We spent three hours riding back and forth. We were talking about basketball, about firefighters and their courage."

Asked about how the fires have impacted him personally, Hickenlooper replied, "To see so many people who can lose so much so rapidly, to have their whole lives turned upside down, it takes emotionally a lot out of you every day. At the same time, to see the true heroism.... While their own home is burning, you see them fighting for the community."

He added, "Like any natural disaster, it is difficult sometimes to deal with all the loss. But at the same time, often it's inspiring what people do."

Follow Sam Levin on Twitter at @SamTLevin. E-mail the author at Sam.Levin@Westword.com.