Colbert called upon his fan base, known as the Colbert Nation, to help fund the cash-strapped Olympic U.S. speedskating team in November 2009 after their primary sponsor, a Dutch bank, went bankrupt. "We must ensure that it is America's 38-inch thighs on that medal platform," quipped Colbert in a press release. He even went so far as to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated the following month wearing a very tight speedskating uniform. The Nation responded and helped raise $300,000 for the team. Colbert was subsequently invited to join the team at the Vancouver Winter Olympics as its assistant sports psychologist.