Any sports enthusiast knows the ups and downs of athletes. Their strength, agility, determination and focus is inspirational, but it’s their drive to finish strong in the midst of falling down (either in the game or in life) that is truly magnificent. Here’s 9 sports figures who claim that their ability to get back up comes from God. These athletes have fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).
Be Unstoppable: The Art of Never Giving Up
By Bethany Hamilton
Bethany Hamilton is a female sports icon, not because of her surfing skills, or because she’s a World Champion surfer with only one arm. She’s an icon because her bold faith gave her the strength to carry on at such a young age. Perhaps you read or saw her life story in Soul Surfer, now it’s time to get personal. In Be Unstoppable, Bethany shares the inspiration that moves her through her daily life, encouraging young women to follow in her footsteps and become unstoppable as well. To be this kind of a woman, you have to boldly follow your passions and live in faith so you can be pushed beyond your expectations.
Winning Balance: What I’ve Learned So Far About Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams
By Shawn Johnson
In 2008, every girl and every gymnast was glued to the TV to watch Shawn Johnson take the all-around Olympic gold medal. But everyone watching was heart broken when Shawn failed and lost her dream. Later, Shawn’s life became even further shattered with a career-ending injury. At this point, she lost her identity. She didn’t know who she was anymore, and she no longer found satisfaction in her faith. Winning Balance is about her emotional and spiritual journey to find worth and value again, but not in her ability. She now finds meaning through love and her faith in God.
Relentless Spirit: The Unconventional Raising of a Champion
By Missy Franklin
Missy’s story is one of persistence and patient endurance. From an early age, her parents taught her to be relentless. She needed to be steady in the pool. She needed to be intense in training, and she needed to give her very best in life. It’s these lessons that Missy’s parents ingrained into her, which made her faith stronger and her character more diligent. Her confidence grew out of this upbringing, causing her to be an excellent role model for young women of any age. Her story demonstrates that it’s our family, especially our parents that provide the best guiding support as we journey through life and toward success.
Wreck My Life: Journeying from Broken to Bold
By Mo Isom
When life is a wreck, that’s when God enters in and really wrecks your life. As an All-American soccer star, Mo Isom struggled with an eating disorder, the suicide of her father and a horrific car accident. When it seemed like her life was a total mess, God entered in and created more chaos. It’s in this wreckage that Mo found renewal and faith.
Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me about God and Life
By Sanya Richards-Ross
The world measures success in how much we have, but Sanya Richards-Ross has a different perspective of success. As an Olympic runner, her success is determined by seconds – the fewer, the better. In order to train her body to run the race, she had to train her mind, and this training proved to be very successful off the track and in real life. In Chasing Grace, Sanya offers readers her deeply-rooted prayer which she used through all of life’s victories and hardships because her ultimate goal was to become all God created her to be.
Dream Big!: Journey from a Childhood Dream to Reality
By Devan Doan
As a young athlete Devan had dreams of the Olympics, but she never envisioned herself making it there as a powerlifter! It’s her father’s compassion and faith in her ability that encouraged her to pursue her dreams. What Devan knew early on is that faith is what carries you through life’s disappointment, death and depression. And faith is what lifts you up during life’s greatest moments and victories. Through it all God has shown her who she is and how He delights in her.
On the Right Track: From Olympic Downfall to Finding Forgiveness and the Strength to Overcome and Succeed
By Marion Jones
Fame, fortune, status, success, awards and medals, that’s everyone’s dream, but it still doesn’t satisfy. Marion Jones is living proof. Marion became the first woman to win five medals at one Olympics, she graced the cover of Vogue, Time and was named the Athlete of the Year. But she lied to federal agents about her use of performance enhancing drugs which lead to her becoming a convicted felon. Prison became the place where Marion came to grips with the consequences of her actions. As a result, she wants to share how she overcame what seemed impossible.
Limitless: The Power of Hope and Resilience to Overcome Circumstance
By Mallory Weggemann and Tiffany Yecke Brooks
A routine medical procedure left Mallory Weggemann paralyzed from her waist down. But this didn’t slow her down. In fact, she didn’t just keep going, she pushed harder. Then, a devastating fall damaged her left arm. Again, she refused to give up. Breaking record after record, Mallory lives a life of determination, perseverance and resilience. She is committed to excellence and views life as one obstacle after another that simply needs to be overcome.
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The opening scene of Chariots of Fire is among the most captivating in film history, as is the life of the film’s hero, Eric Liddell. One of Lidell’s most poignant moments was refusing to race on Sunday in the Olympics because it was the Sabbath. Lidell later became a missionary in China where, during WWII he, and thousands of other westerners, were placed at a Japanese work camp. In the camp, his faith excelled even more. With so much media created from this inspiring story, it’s the story of Lidell that’s important, not the actual book selection.
