Usha Vance promotes literacy at Team USA centre
Washington: Second Lady Usha Vance visited the US Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to promote childhood literacy, using a stop at one of Team USA’s premier training facilities to encourage children to read during the summer break.
The Second Lady joined two-time Olympian and six-time World Champion wrestler Adeline Gray in reading If You Can Dream it, Be It by Team USA bobsled pilot Riley Tejcek to a group of local students.
“What an honor it was to visit such an incredible space and meet the Team USA athletes who are representing our country so well. Team USA fosters excellence and inspires children to fulfill their potential – something I also hope to cultivate by encouraging childhood literacy,” Usha Vance said.
The event was part of the Second Lady’s Summer Reading Challenge, an initiative aimed at combating summer learning loss among students.
Gray said the visit combined two important influences in children’s lives.
“It was great to welcome the Second Lady and a group of local children for their first experience at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. As a mother myself, inspiring kids to be curious, dream big and develop a love for both sport and reading is incredibly important,” she said.
The Colorado Springs facility serves as a training base for many of America’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The Second Lady has made literacy a key focus of her public engagement efforts. Earlier this year, she visited AcadeMir Academy Charter School West in Doral, Florida, where she read to students and worked with faculty on ways to address summer learning loss.
She has also launched a podcast, “Storytime with the Second Lady”, featuring celebrities and public figures reading children’s books. Recent guests have included Paralympic medallist Brent Poppen, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, actor Cheryl Hines, Inter Miami CF player Ian Fray and Vance’s mother, Dr Lakshmi Chilukuri.
The visit also reflected Vance’s continuing support for Team USA athletes. She travelled to Milan with Vice President JD Vance in February for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Summer learning loss remains a concern for educators across the United States, who have long warned that students can lose academic ground during extended school breaks. Reading programmes are widely used by schools, libraries and community organisations to help children maintain literacy skills during the summer months.
Colorado Springs is home to several major US Olympic and Paralympic facilities and has long been a centre of American elite sport. The training centre hosts athletes preparing for international competition, including future Olympic and Paralympic Games.