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FAITH STORIES AT TOKYO 2020: SWIMMERS | KAIROS GLOBAL | NOVEMBER 2021
Author: Joseph George
Intro: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics witnessed amazing displays of athletes’ faith and acknowledgement of God’s love and grace in their lives, writes Sports Consultant Joseph George.
In the previous edition we saw multiple medalists in athletics walking God’s path and achieving sporting success at the same time. In this second edition of the faith stories, we shift our focus to the swimming pool, where World Records and Olympic Records were rewritten every day. The world’s best swimmers underline the fact that faith remains consistent and that’s where they find their happiness.
1. Kathleen Ledecky (USA)
Before heading into Tokyo 2020, Kathleen Ledecky had 5 Olympic Gold medals and a Silver (Women’s 800m freestyle Gold at London 2012 and five more medals at Rio 2016 with 4 Gold medals in 200m, 400m & 800m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay as well as a Silver medal in 4x100m freestyle relay). At the age of 15, she won an Olympic Gold medal at London and four years later she was named as the Female Top Olympic Performer by the International Swimming Federation [FINA]. At Tokyo, the 24-year-old added two Gold medals (800m & 1500m freestyle) and two Silver medals (400m freestyle & 4x200m freestyle) to her collection and is regarded as female swimming’s most-decorated-ever athlete.
The World and Olympic Record holder in three events (Women’s 400m, 800m & 1500m freestyle), Ledecky has long spoken about the importance of Catholic faith, as she feels comfortable practicing it and it helps her to put things in perspective. She finds the Hail Mary to be a ‘calming’ prayer and prays it before races: ‘I do say a prayer – or two – before any race. The Hail Mary is a beautiful prayer and I find that it calms me.’1
She noted that the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are only three years away, and even hinted that the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles could be in her future. ‘So while my goals in the pool have changed, my faith remains something that’s consistent and something I can always rely on.’2
2. Caeleb Dressel (USA)
Caeleb Dressel set a World Record (Men’s 100m butterfly) and three Olympic Records (Men’s 50m & 100m freestyle in addition to the World Record) at Tokyo 2020 as he won five Gold medals in Men’s swimming (Men’s 50m & 100m freestyle, Men’s 100m butterfly, Men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, Men’s 4x100m medley relay), the most by any athlete at Tokyo 2020, only the tenth athlete and the fifth swimmer to achieve this feat. Dressel had won two Gold medals in relay during Rio 2016 as well. And the king of the swimming pool has 13 Gold medals and 2 Silver medals in World Championships across eight events in just two editions (2017 & 2019). He set a record for most medals won at a single edition when he claimed eight medals (6 Gold, 2 Silver) at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
Dressel’s philosophy in life is: ‘I just want to be a better man every day, and from there, the swimming will come.’
There was a time in high school when he stopped swimming because he no longer enjoyed it, but he eventually returned, and did so with more trust in God. ‘Coming out of that, I started swimming again and really just put all my trust in God and knowing that He’s going to take care of everything for me, good or bad,’
Faith is the foundation stone for Dressel: ‘It’s the reason I’m in the sport—not just to go fast times, but to inspire people and show them where I find my happiness with what God’s given me.’3
One of Dressel’s favorite Bible verses is Isaiah 40:31: But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles. His large eagle tattoo was inspired by that verse.4
3. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA)
‘A child of God, with a passion for swimming and love for family and friends,’ that’s the Facebook bio of South African swimmer, Tatjana Shoenmaker. Her Instagram bio credits, ‘All Glory to God’.
On 23rd July 2021, Tatjana Shoenmaker tweeted her readiness to witness God’s will: ‘LET THE GAMES BEGIN. Father God may your will be done, may your peace fill us up, may we praise you no matter what the outcome, may we be empowered by your strength to give it our all and may we forever be in awe of your goodness!’5
The 24-year-old swimmer set an Olympic Record in the Women’s 100m breaststroke heats on 25th July 2021, and two days later she settled for a Silver medal in the finals as she couldn’t replicate the same effort. On 28th July, she set another Olympic Record, this time in Women’s 200m breaststroke semi-finals and two days later, she set a new World Record in the Women’s 200m breaststroke final to take home the Gold medal along with the earlier Silver.
In all her competitions in Tokyo, Schoenmaker has worn — under her green South Africa swim cap — another cap proclaiming her faith. A white Speedo cap that features a blue Jesus fish under the phrase, Soli Deo Gloria, which means ‘Glory to God alone,’ printed on the side of it.
Shoenmaker’s Instagram post on August 6, photo with her medals and the memorable moments in Tokyo underlines her faith: ‘HIS-STORY
I have no words. But I’ll try. These photos don’t do justice to the amazing overflow of blessings my team and I have received this past week. My Tokyo 2020 experience was filled with an abundance of God’s favour and love – in more ways than one! Yes records were broken, yes, God brought me the gold. And YES, God blessed me with the most amazing team – girls who supported me through every step of the way, and who made memories together that will last a LIFETIME! But even more than this, I am in awe of God’s goodness and love for us, His children. It just comes to show that His story is History!
Our achievements are temporary but God’s love and goodness is eternal.
There is no amount of praise we can give God that will ever be enough but I will praise Him with everything I have till I can no more.’6
Software engineer turned sports management professional, Joseph George is currently sports consultant with Sony Pictures Sports Networks – India. He has worked as producer, commentator, statistician and sports analyst across multiple sporting events in the recent past.
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