Who Am I?

Before Competition

I started wrestling when I was five years old. By the time I was twelve, I began taking competition seriously. That is when I started experiencing competition anxiety. If I wrestled someone who could beat me, I would do as little as possible to win. I would not compete to my full potential. I had many talks with my coaches and parents. They encouraged me to compete harder and enjoy the sport. Unfortunately, it did not help. As much as I tried to stay confident, I kept worrying about losing. It seemed like there was no way to overcome these debilitating thoughts and emotions.

I began college with the goal of being a four-time national champion. Everything changed after I experienced a devastating loss my freshman year of college. I made it to the final match and was winning. But then, I was thrown to my back and pinned. At that moment, I felt like my life was over. For the next week, I ate little and spoke to no one. Finally, I called my strength coach to hear his thoughts. In that conversation, he asked me a question that changed my life. He said, “You know what you have to do now, right?” I said, “I have no idea!” He said, “You must commit your whole life to Jesus. You must be more committed to Him than you are to wrestling. He must be above everything.”

After our conversation, I prayed that I would be more committed to Jesus than to anything else in my life. I didn’t know what that meant because my whole life revolved around wrestling. But I prayed with a genuine heart and pure motives.

I stopped feeling sorry for myself, and I returned to training. Six months later, I became the youngest USA World Champion by defeating the best wrestler in the world. It wasn't that I was stronger, more conditioned, or dramatically improved my technique. Instead, God reminded me that above all else I am His child. Once I understood this in my heart, mind, and soul, I could compete freely.

Action Points:

• Be willing to listen to spiritual mentors as they help you grow in Christ.
• Always remind yourself that being a child of God comes first before everything else in life.

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for revealing yourself to me and showing me that I am your child. My value comes from you! Help me to keep this truth fresh in my mind every day. In the name of Jesus, amen.