From Eric Liddell to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Christian olympians have been giving glory to God over gold since the modern olympics began in 1896. Following every race, match, or routine, news outlets often give the top world class athletes an opportunity to discuss their victory with the millions of viewers who just saw them perform.
For many, this is an opportunity to speak into the importance of consistent training, believing in oneself, and the people who got them to this point. These are all worthy factors that contribute to victory, and yet many Christian athletes use their first words to praise and honor the Lord.
As you prepare to watch the best in the world compete in your favored sporting events this Summer, take a moment to familiarize yourself with a few of the believers in the arena who are glorifying Christ with every step, vault, stroke, and jump. Because, even if the olympic games are ultimately a celebration of human achievement, it’s always refreshing to remember the One who created these bodies to do great things.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (400m Hurdles)
“Praise God,” she told NBC this Summer after once again furthering her 400 meter hurdles world record. “I was not expecting that, but He can do anything. Anything is possible in Christ. So yeah—I’m just amazed, baffled, and shocked.”
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Brody Malone (Gymnastics)
“After taking a few days to reflect on this past weekend, my mind keeps going back to [Psalm 115:1]. As soon as my injury happened, I was flooded with a lot of different emotions. Pain, regret, confusion. While lying on the stretcher, I remember saying to God, ‘I don’t know why you did this, but I guess it’s part of Your plan.’ I immediately felt at peace about it and knew that He was going to somehow use my injury to display His glory. That peace kept me from being upset it happened, and allowed me to focus on what good would come from it. I am incredibly grateful to be representing the team.”
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Olivia Lundman (Race Walking)
When speaking about mental health struggles, Lundman said: “When I was struggling, I used to think, God, why have you abandoned me? Where are you? I didn’t realize that it was during those times that I was struggling that he was the only one that was keeping me going and carrying me through each day.”
Stevan Mićić (Wrestling)
“I know my family loves me, God loves me. I would say the good news about Jesus is that He’s always there for you, whether things are going good or things are going bad. He’s never going to forsake us.”
Anna Hall (Heptathlon)
Often using the hashtag #Histiming for setbacks and victories, this was her response on an interview with Sports Spectrum on what Jesus means to her:
“He is my Lord and Savior. Jesus is the reason that we’re here and that we are able to have hope. That affects all aspects of my life, but definitely sports as well. For me, that’s been something I’ve started to get more comfortable sharing. My own growth and my faith over the last few years has definitely been a huge, huge part of my life.”
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Further Reading
These are just a handful of the many athletes competing for gold while glorifying Christ. To discover more Christian Olympians and what they say about their faith, check out the rosters put together by Christianity Today, PluggedIn, and Sports Spectrum.
Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith
One month before the Paris 2024 Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke the 400m hurdles world record for the fifth time. Arguably one of the most dominant athletes at the Olympics this year, she is also a follower of Christ.
From lifelong battles with perfectionism and anxiety to persistent questions about her identity and whether she was “enough,” Sydney is no stranger to obstacles on and off the track. As a multi-year world champion and Olympic gold medalist, her pursuit of perfection and people-pleasing continued for years … until God broke into her story with His overwhelming grace, transforming love, and empowering truth.
In Far Beyond Gold, Sydney takes you behind the scenes of the world stage and shares aspects of her story of faith in a way she has never shared publicly before. Not only will this give you a look at the life and faith of one of the world’s greatest athletes—this book will help you find strength in Christ for whatever hurdles you may be facing in life.
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What a great post! Thank you for providing such helpful and inspiring information!
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