Olympic Silver medallists: 'Our identity is in Christ'
US diving pair David Boudia and Steele Johnson told TV audiences of their Christian faith during an interview, after winning silver medals at the Rio Olympics.
The divers scored 457.11 points in the Men's Synchronised 10m Platform, on Monday, to finish behind China, which won the gold with 496.98. Great Britain won bronze with 444.45.
'Our identity is in Christ'
Speaking to American broadcaster NBC, Boudia, who will also compete in the individual platform on Friday 19 August, proclaimed that he and his partner are not defined by their sport, but instead by Christ.
He said: "It's just an identity crisis. When my mind is on this [diving], and I'm thinking I'm defined by this, then my mind goes crazy. But we both know that our identity is in Christ, and we're thankful for this opportunity to be able to dive in front of Brazil and in front of the United States.
"It's been an absolutely thrilling moment for us."
'Rooted in Christ'
Johnson agreed, adding that knowing Christ provided him with a sense of peace going into the competition.
He said: "The way David just described it was flawless – the fact that I was going into this event knowing that my identity is rooted in Christ and not what the result of this competition is just gave me peace and it let me enjoy the contest."
He added: "If something went great, I was happy. If something didn't go great, I could still find joy because I'm at the Olympics competing with the best person, the best mentor, just one of the best people to be around. God's given us a cool opportunity, and I'm glad I could come away with an Olympic silver medal in my first-ever event."
Glory to God
Boudia has recently released a memoir called 'Greater than Gold: From Olympic Heartbreak to Ultimate Redemption', in which he details his change of focus from seeking glory for himself, to giving glory to God.
He shares some of this journey on his website. He opens with a confession: "For much of my life, I bowed at the feet of gods fashioned of gold, silver and bronze."
But this pursuit, along with failure to win a medal in his first Olympic games as a 19-year-old in Beijing, in 2008, left him feeling "hollow".
On a particularly low day, a friend told him to "talk to Adam", who was Boudia's diving coach, saying "he can help". Boudia wanted a quick answer that would fix what was happening in his life, but instead Adam made him aware of the gospel for the first time.
Life transformed
Boudia notes that this is when his life "transformed," going on to say: "From the time they talked to me that Saturday, I was broken over my sin. I felt filthy, and ultimately cried out to God for his forgiveness."
"When I was desperately chasing everything other than God, he loved and pursued me anyway.
"Now he has given my life a new meaning and purpose – namely, to pursue Him and to know Him more deeply."
Related Links:
US Olympic Divers Following Silver Medal Performance: 'Our Identity Is in Christ' (CNS News)
David Boudia: My Walk (David Boudia)
Greater Than Gold: From Olympic Heartbreak to Ultimate Redemption (Amazon UK)
