Written by: Dr. Ruth Henry
The Paris Olympics were thrilling to watch this summer. The sportsmanship and talent from all the different cultures and countries were inspirational. One thing that stood out to me, though, was that so many of the athletes mentioned God or their faith during their interviews. They did so on live TV, courageously and unapologetically, even when they were sometimes criticized for their outspoken expressions of faith. For years, Sydney McLaughlin (U.S. track & field) has spoken of her faith; she recently said that realizing she is a child of God has "set me free to run the race that God has set out for me to run." Athletes from the U.S. Brazil, Great Britain, Fiji, Australia, and many others had similar statements, giving God glory for their talents, peace, and purpose. One Brazilian athlete even signed John 14:6 during competition: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'".
Why do many athletes seem to be outspoken about their faith? Why do they do this more so than politicians, entertainers, and entrepreneurs who have had great success? Why are athletes, including our student athletes at Lipscomb, intentional about speaking the name of Jesus? From my humble experience as a high school track & field athlete and observing higher-level athletes, I observe a few reasons.
First, I believe, is that they realize that the very nature of their athletic competition and the fragility of the human body makes them realize that they can't do it all alone. Their talents are God-given, but success in sports depends upon being fit and injury-free. They are quick to ask God to keep them from injury, and quick to give him the glory when they have an injury that has healed.
Second, they are okay with doing "hard things." Being a person of faith is not always an easy road, but athletes are accustomed to doing hard things, and the idea that they may face opposition is fine with them; in fact, they do it every day in their competition. Athletes seem to realize that what they are asking of their bodies goes way beyond the level of most people, and that they need every bit of help they can get. But they acknowledge that God can do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…."(Ephesians 3:20).
Lastly, athletes always seem to be grateful, and they express that gratitude. They not only give credit to God for their athletic abilities and protection, but they express thanks to their families, coaches, teammates, and other support systems. They have learned to realize that their own success is not just their own.
This is nothing new, of course. Recall way back to the "Chariots of Fire" depiction of the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddle stated, "God made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure." Then there was Tim Tebow in college and pro football in the early 2000's, thanking his "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." So for 100 years, we have seen athletes who are "not ashamed of the gospel," as in Romans 1:16. It does seem that, as the world gets more worldly, even more athletes use their platform to speak up for God.
Our athletes at Lipscomb do this, also! In my 33 years of teaching, the spiritual conversations in the classroom, in my office, and in my home, have been disproportionately more in number with my student athletes than with other students. They seem to freely express a desire to find God's purpose, either in athletics or in their lives outside of athletics. Our own Liza Corso, competing in the Paralympics in both 2020 and 2024, says that one of her motivating factors is "to glorify God through my running career and be a light in the community."
On the day of the Covenant School shooting in 2023, I went to my senior seminar class intending to lead the class in prayer before we began class that day. When I arrived, two of our student athletes were already leading the class in a beautiful, heartfelt prayer, asking the Lord's blessing on the Covenant families and expressing a need for peace for all the families, and forgiveness for the shooter. I was not really surprised when I arrived at class that day, but it made me love and respect our athletes even more.
I credit our coaching and staff in athletics for instilling this is Lipscomb's student athletes. Some of the students come to Lipscomb with that mindset, but others come to that way of thinking by the teaching and modeling of their coaches, teachers, and classmates.
I am grateful for the intersection of sports and faith! Because so many Americans love to watch sports, especially on TV, these athletes are glorifying God by using the opportunity to give him credit and praise, and reaching a wide audience of both believers and non-believers in doing so. I pray that this trend will continue for many years to come! I have been called an "athlete-friendly" teacher, meaning that I try to help them work around their schedules, make up work, etc. This is not just because I love sports—it is because I respect and admire them as people and fellow heirs in the kingdom of God.
