Catholic Herald

My husband and I have been very busy lately, so we have only caught a little bit of the Olympics. This is a shame, because it is one of the few sporting events for which I am excited. I love the athletes’ stories and the fact that they come from so many different places and cultures to all compete in the same sport. And, of course, who doesn’t love watching the American flag raised as one of our athletes mouths the words to the Star Spangled Banner?

I cannot even fathom the amount of determination that it takes these athletes to achieve their goal of Olympic gold. Most started in their sport when they were little quickly became serious. Whether it is figure skating, skiing or snow boarding, the love for sport has been a central theme of the lives of each one.

Their lives have revolved around training. They have endured great physical pain so to move past injuries. They have endured criticism from commentators. Through it all, it was the idea of Olympic gold that kept them going. To see them achieve the goal is so beautiful!

I especially enjoyed watching Lindsey Vonn win the gold in downhill skiing. She came into the Olympics with a shin injury and some weather delays bought her enough healing time to pull off becoming the best woman downhill skier in the world. She wept when she learned the news, and I don’t blame her. Vonn talked about all the hard work and sacrifice that had brought her to this point in her career and how she had now accomplished what she had always dreamed of doing. Her whole life had lead up to that moment, and she was rightly treasuring it.

As excited as I am for Vonn and all the athletes that will go home with a medal, watching her and others achieve a lifelong dream at a young age makes me think, “Now what?”
Of course there will be celebrations and endorsements and maybe even training for the next big championship. But then what? One can only be a professional athlete for so long. And what about the athletes who won’t go home with a medal? The ones who, no matter how hard they train, will never stand on the podium because of their genetic code, or environment or whatever else? What happens to them?

Some of the coolest conversion stories I have heard are not the ones of people who hit bottom and turned to God, but the ones who had received everything and realized it was not enough. They point to the fact that nothing we accomplish in time and space will ever be able to completely fulfill us because we are built for eternity.

I’m not down on athletes. On the contrary, the pursuit of athletic excellence has been used since biblical times to highlight the need to pursue holiness. St. Paul said, “Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor 9:25-27).

No one just climbs off the couch, licks the Cheeto powder off their fingers and jumps in line to compete at the Olympics. Their lives are ordered around achieving the “perishable crown” of Olympic gold. This is how we are called to live our faith. Not aimlessly, but purposefully training our bodies and wills through fasting, nourishing our souls with prayer and the sacraments, and by refining our virtue through selfless works of charity.
It is hard work, to be sure. It requires us to center our lives on the goal and make a lot of sacrifices for it. The good news is, that if we persevere, we will be victorious. Jesus did the heavy lifting for us, and our participation is just that — participation. Each person, in their great talent or their deep infirmity has what it takes to win the prize.

I will never be an Olympic athlete. I will never stand on a podium, or star in commercials or make millions selling sneakers. I’m okay with that. Instead, some day I hope to be greeted by the throngs of the Blessed and the words, “well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt 25:21).

My spring training starts again this Lent. How about you?