An invitation to the White House is a chance to be recognized as a national champion and is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Point Loma Nazarene women's soccer team earned the invitation after winning the school's first-ever national title. Monday was the day the Sea Lions and the entire 2023-24 NCAA national champion team were scheduled to be honored at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
What followed was a journey no one could have predicted for PLNU. Computer issues delayed the flight, getting the team to Detroit, but then it took some ingenuity to complete the journey to Washington, DC.
“Maybe for the older crowd, it was a moment of planes, trains and automobiles,” Sea Lions coach Christy Keeley said. “We were going to get on a plane, rent a car from Detroit and take the train. We were determined to get here.”
After a 16-hour journey, they finally reached their destination only to find that President Joe Biden was not seeking reelection, leaving them unsure whether the celebration they were so desperate to attend would even take place.
“There were a lot of unknowns and it happened a little later in the day,” Keeley said. “I appreciated the way they pushed through it and the fact that the vice president briefly touched on it in his opening remarks. I definitely feel like it's historic. It's a moment where you remember where you were when this happened and you feel like you were there.”
Bethany Arab has a mountain of evidence that she was there: A photo on the steps of the White House shows a student-athlete wearing a PLNU football shirt, a senior forward who has suddenly appeared on every news feed on the planet and is already starting to get attention for it.
“It feels a little surreal. I don't think it's sunk in yet,” Arab said, “but it really means a lot to be up there representing our school and our community. We're grateful to have the opportunity to represent all the people who supported us on our journey to nationals. The support from the San Diego community and Point Loma has been incredible.”
Arab wasn't part of the travel group from San Diego; she had an even longer commute. She and her family were about to board a flight to Europe when the invitation from the White House arrived.
“I knew being invited to the White House was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Arab said, “so I did everything I could to get here. I flew in yesterday from Vienna, Austria, and will be heading back to Europe this afternoon to be with my family.”
She flew nine hours a day on consecutive days to join the team for the historic event — the kind of dedication you expect from a national champion. In fact, it's one of the things Vice President Kamala Harris makes sure to point out when she speaks to crowds of student-athletes.
“Congratulations on all you've accomplished,” VP Harris said, “and best of luck with all that's to come. Wherever you go from now on, you will always — and never forget this — you will always be champions, and we will always be proud of you.”
The impact of the visit was further enhanced by the fact that the women's soccer team was honored by the first female vice president and potential president of the United States.
“I think they did a really good job preparing for the whole event,” Keely said. “It was a great experience to tour the White House, play a sport, interact with people who know what it takes, and hear Vice President Harris speak.”
By the way, to keep track of her travel schedule, Arab uses a calculator watch – a classic Casio calculator watch from the 1980s. Calculator watches are making a comeback, and she received one as a birthday present from her university research team, another group you can't help but root for.
“I'm a biochemistry major, and our research is about finding new and better ways to administer chemotherapy drugs for cancer that are less invasive and damaging.”
If that's not a champion's job, I honestly don't know what is.
(Photo by Shannon Hardy and PLNU)
