2010 Winter Olympians keeping their faith (video)

 

Though it feels as if Louisville, Kentucky could host the 2010 Winter Olympics this year, no doubt the winter freeze it’s currently under won’t last…But have faith sports fans because the Olympics is actually in Vancouver this year and just days from beginning.

As the stage is set in Vancouver for this Friday’s opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics, the physical and spiritual training has long been in the works for many Olympic athletes years before they actually get the chance to compete. Sports enthusiasts and patriotic flag wavers love to rally around the TV sets cheering on their favorites during the Olympic coverage but watching the sports themselves is only part of the enjoyment for many. Getting a brief glimpse inside the making of an athlete via the personal profiles done in the media also causes many sports lovers to tune in.

This year, before turning the tube on, viewers can head to a website called “Beyond the Ultimate” to check out personal profiles of Olympians who beat the odds, using faith as their foundation. The website’s intro grabs the attention of viewers with the following statement:

The world will be watching - every perfected performance, every attempted spin, every crash and tumble down the slopes, every shining face on the victory stand. Elite winter athletes who have their ultimate goal within their grasps - a gold medal in the winter Olympics - will be giving their all. The athletes you will read about here know there is something beyond this Olympic achievement. Win or lose, they already have the prize - the gift - that is Beyond the Ultimate!

Throughout the coming days as the site is updated, readers will find testimonies from athletes such as Leann Parsley of the US team, Katya Antonuk from Russia and Jennifer Wygant, also from the USA.
Katya Antonuk’s open and moving story covers her younger years, athletic triumphs, disappointments and her introduction to faith:  Growing up under atheism Katya knew nothing about God. “We were taught in school that the Bible was myths and legends. I thought the only people who believed in a God were old people. Even the graves had communist stars on them not crosses. Once I visited another skier and saw that she had a Bible. That was so strange for me as I had never seen a Bible before. I had been taught in school that the Bible was myths and legends. I was surprised that my friend did not know that the Bible was nonsense. She offered to lend a Bible to me. I said “No it is not for me… I started to read Bible and it was such a revelation to me. Rather than myths and legends as I knew it was real history about a real God.”

The Beyond the Ultimate website currently offers profile stories about athletes from Russia, Canada, Switzerland and the U.S., as well as video testimonies. One such video is an interview of Cindy Klassen from the US Speed Skating Team sharing her realization that God’s plan is always the right plan for her life.

Mark Johnson of the US Hockey Team makes no bones about his stance on faith, stating in his profile that, “I know that my value doesn’t lie in winning championships, but in who I am in Christ. God’s love for me and Jesus’ death and resurrection are the real miracles.”

Kelly Clark, US Olympic Gold-winning Snow Boarder, shares how someone else’s statement about God’s love affected her and moved her to reach out to discover just what God had to do with her. (See the video below)

To keep up with the latest Olympic news and updates, add the following sites to your favorites:
Beyond the Ultimate
Examiner.com Olympic Medal Counter
Examiner.com 2010 Olympics Page                                

To keep up with Kentuckians heading to the Olympics, sharing their stories and pictures, click on the following:
Kentucky.com 
 

Olympic Photo of Ryan Suter of the US Hockey Team by AP Photographer Frederick Breedon