Why President Biden borrowed a former BYU runner’s phone on Monday

It’s not every day that the president of the United States steals your phone for a selfie.
But that’s what happened to Paris Olympian and former BYU runner Courtney Wayment on Monday.
Wayment was filming her visit to the White House when President Joe Biden borrowed her phone to take a selfie with Wayment and the Olympians near her, including former BYU runner and Olympic silver medalist Kenneth Rooks.
Wayment shared the resulting video and selfie on her Instagram story.
Wayment and Rooks were among the 400 U.S. Olympians and Paralympians at the White House to celebrate the more than 200 medals Team USA won in Paris this summer.
“Thank you for representing the very best of America,” Biden told the athletes on the South Lawn.
Former BYU runners Whittni Morgan, Conner Mantz and Clayton Young joined Wayment and Rooks.
Former BYU basketball player Steph Rovetti, who won bronze with the U.S. women’s rugby team; Utahn Alex “Spiff” Sedrick, Rovetti’s teammate; and Utahn Garrett Schoonover, a first-time Paralympic wheelchair fencer, were also in attendance.
“Whether this was your first time at the games or the peak of your distinguished career, your legacy is one of discipline, success, joy and loyalty to one another. And that legacy is part of something bigger than yourself. It is about your country, the greatest sports nation in the history of the world,” Biden told the large crowd.
The president joked that the Summer Games were playing on TV in the Oval Office and on his staff’s TVs, even during national security briefings.
He also thanked the 28 Team USA athletes who served in the U.S. armed forces.
“As your commander in chief, I say thank you for your service,” he said. “We owe you. That’s not hyperbole.”
Before Biden spoke, swimmer Torri Huske, who won gold in the 100-meter butterfly in Paris, addressed the president and her fellow athletes.
Huske thanked the president “for opening your home” to Team USA, to which Biden later replied that the White House is Team USA’s house, not his.
With 126 medals at the Paris Olympics, the U.S. topped the medal chart for the eighth consecutive games in Paris, Huske said. U.S. Paralympians won another 105 medals.
“Each medal is a testament to our hard work, determination and grit. Behind each of these moments of greatness are years of sacrifice. Beyond the medals, so many personal bests were achieved, and iconic performances etched into our history. There’s a reason we are known as the best country in the world,” Huske said.
Huske also spoke on the broader impact of Team USA’s performance in Paris.
“Everyone talks about how the Olympics and Paralympics foster peace and international solidarity, and it’s true. They unite countries in the spirit of competition. They also inspire others, and that is what each of us did this summer. With each competition, we represented not only the flag and its people but we upheld the legacy that is the United States,” Huske said.
Paralympic wheelchair basketball star and Latter-day Saint Paul Schulte also spoke before the president offered his own remarks.
Schulte was introduced by aspiring wheelchair basketball player Adrina Castro, who described how Schulte has inspired her as she prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“Wheelchair basketball has given me many role models. Paul Schulte is a legend in the game. He’s your favorite player’s favorite player. This spring, I represented Team USA at the Rocky Mountain Cup, and there I was able to witness Paul’s greatness firsthand. Paul has quickly become one of my favorite players, too,” Castro said.
Schulte told Castro that she is just like the Olympians and Paralympians in attendance and that “you belong here among us.”
He then expressed gratitude to Biden for the invitation and thanked the athletes’ support systems for the roles they played in their journeys to Paris.
“Mr. President, thank you for continuing this tradition of welcoming Olympians and Paralympians to the White House. We heard your cheers, and we felt your support in France. Your kindness and support helped us pursue our dream of representing the United States with excellence on the world stage. We express our gratitude to God, our families, friends and loved ones for their unwavering support that brought us to secret tears you didn’t see. We love you,” he said.
The president thanked Schulte for the introduction and his incredible courage.
“Only in America do we believe anything’s possible,” Biden told the Olympians and Paralympians.