Going for gold – with God

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix

Discipline/s: British diver

Medals: 24 Aqua and Olympic medals including Gold in FINA Diving Grand Prix 2020, Gold in Commonwealth Games 2022, Gold in European Championships 2022, Gold in FINA World Junior Diving Championships 2022, Bronze in World Aquatics Diving World Cup 2023, Bronze in World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024, Bronze in World Aquatics Diving World Cup 2024 – Super Final. (These do not include other medals for synchronised and team events.)

How long have you been training as an athlete? Andrea is 20 in 2024 and entered the British Diving Championships in 2018.

How does your faith impact your training or practice? Andrea speaks publicly on her social media about her faith, often quoting the Bible after her victories: “For when I am weak, then am I strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:10. To say the season so far has been tiring is an understatement. Travelling, jet lag and constantly being on the road and away from home is exhausting, but God is my strength. I’m looking forward to letting my mind to rest, my body recover and using the eight weeks before the Olympics to grow and tidy up my dives. I give God all the glory for this week in Birmingham - it wasn’t my cleanest performance but it’s a great foundation for the weeks leading to Paris.”

What scripture/scriptures do you stand on when training gets tough? “For when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10), “Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33), “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Social media handles: @andreassirieix04

Chiaka Ogbogu

Discipline/s: US professional volleyball player

Medals: Gold in Tokyo 2021 Olympics

How long have you been training as an athlete? I’m 29 and I’ve been training since I was 13.

How does your faith impact your training or practice? As I’ve gotten older and more experienced in my sport I’ve tried to invite the idea of ‘playing with God’ to be in alignment with ‘playing for God’. The idea is to think about how I invite God into the court when I’m practising or competing in a match; how I make space for prayer or connecting with God in the heat of the battle. 

What scripture/scriptures do you stand on when training gets tough? Esther 4:14: “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (ESV) is a reminder that God has already prepared the way for me to tackle whatever is in my way.

Is there anything that makes it difficult to be a female athlete in your particular sport? Challenges I’ve faced in sport include not having a domestic league. Only recently have we seen the emergence of professional volleyball leagues, one of which is ‘League One Volleyball’, which I will be participating in. Because we didn’t have a domestic league, it made it difficult to keep up with my loved ones and to feel like I was still connected to what was going on in the States. Abroad, it is a little more difficult to plan the next phase of your life, which may include a career change, dating, family planning etc.

What do you love about being a woman in sport? I believe women are powerful beings and have been entrusted by God to bear so much in this world. I love celebrating and being celebrated by other women athletes. I think there is a unique understanding among all of us that we are our first cheerleaders. 

Social media handles: @chiaka11

Ellie Rattu

Discipline/s: British netball player

Medals: Won 2017 Europe Netball U17

How long have you been training as an athlete? I was born in 2000 and I started playing around age nine.

How does your faith impact your training or practice? I’ve been privileged to be in teams with lots of other Christians to pray together before games. I want to use my gift to the best of my ability. When I’m not on the court or in the gym, I spend a lot of time in my church community. I’ve done a lot of work with the organisation Christians in Sport, who have helped me to realise that my sport is a gift from God. So it’s trying to marry up how I can serve and worship him in the way that I play netball. I feel very blessed to be in a position where I can do what I love as my job. 

Social media handles: @ellie_rattu

Abigail Irozuru

Discipline/s: British track and field

athlete, specialising in long jump

Medals: Silver in European Team Championships, Top 8 at World U20 Championships, Top 8 at European Indoor Championships, Top 8 at World Championships 

How long have you been training as an athlete? I am 34 and I’ve been training as an athlete for over half of my life.

How does your faith impact your training or practice? In 2016 I experienced an injury from rupturing my Achilles, and if it weren’t for my faith, I wouldn’t be competing today. I cried for months in 2016 due to the pain I was in, and feelings of grief and loss. I said: “God, please keep me healthy and allow this time round to be better.” I remind myself of that promise God made with me, or I made with God. I’m thankful for my faith and the people of faith around me who can lift me up.

Social media handles: @absisdabest

 

Stef Reid MBE

Discipline/s: British Long jump

Medals: 2012 Paralympic silver medallist T44 long jump, 2011 World bronze medallist T44/46 long jump, 2011 World bronze medallist T44 200m, 2008 Paralympic bronze medallist T44 200m and 2006 World Championship 6th long jump.

How long have you been training as an athlete? I am 39 and started training with the university team when I was in university. Three years later, I was competing at the World Championships.

How long have you been a Christian? After my boat

accident when I was 15, which led to the amputation of my leg, I prayed in that ambulance for the first time: “God,

save me.”

How does your faith impact your training or practice? There was this really complicated process of figuring out that when I’m unsuccessful that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love me, or I’ve done something wrong. I’m just realising that my job – regardless of what I’m doing – is always to bring my best. I need to be able to sit before God and just say I did everything that I could. I don’t control much beyond that.

Social media handles: @runjumpstefreid

Marilyn Okoro

Discipline/s: Track and field athlete, predominantly ran 800m and 400m

Medals: Bronze in Olympic Games in

Beijing 2008, bronze in World Championships

 in Osaka 2007 and silver in European Championships in Barcelona 2010

How long have you been training as an athlete? I am 39 and started at school aged 10. I got my first international vest in 2006. You get a vest for representing your country, which I did at the Commonwealth Games for the first time in 2006. I retired in 2021. I am now a talent acquisition specialist.

How long have you been a Christian? I’ve always loved God, and I’m thankful that I was born in a Christian home. But I would say since I’ve been at RPF Ministry (Redeemed Pillar of Fire) in Camberwell, London, in the last two years, I’ve definitely deepened my relationship with God. That really turned everything around. I’ve always wanted to serve and be planted in a church but I never really could because of moving around a lot.

Is there anything that makes it difficult to be a female athlete in your particular sport? Generally, women in sport are quite behind. In my sport, it’s dominated by male coaches. I never really had a female coach. And then, in terms of the anatomy, they train women according to men rather than according to our makeup and biology. There is a movement coming through looking at the strength of women and what our superpowers are. The period conversation – I never had that with any of my coaches. It was a taboo. There was so much we could’ve done to support that.

What do you love about being a woman in sport? I love being a relatable role model to women and girls who don’t believe in themselves. I’m very passionate about boldness, which is rooted in my faith in God’s strength. One of my favourite verses is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV).

Will you be watching any events (other than your own) at the Paris 2024 Olympics? I am on the board for UK Athletics and England Athletics, so I will be in Paris watching the Olympics live. I’m looking forward to seeing the new sport called Breaking, which is an urban dance style that originated in the United States in the 1970s. I enjoy seeing all the new talent coming through.

Social media handles: @marilynokorooly

I’d encourage Christian athletes to check out Christians in Sport @christians_in_sport

*please note some of these profiles are collected from previously recorded public interviews and articles, found on Premier Woman Alive, Premier Christianity, The Independent, worldaquatics.com, worldathletics.org and the athletes’ own websites and social media platforms.

Words by Maxine Harrison