Commonwealth athletes share Bible texts after picking up medals

Two athletes competing for England at the Commonwealth Games have used their podium finishes to give glory to God.

Teenage diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix picked up two golds and a silver medal at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, while top para-athlete Karé Adenegan, 21, took home the silver medal in the T33/34 100m – a wheelchair sprint for athletes with cerebral palsy.

Both young women took to social media to share their delight, and their faith in God.

‘Glory to God’

Spendolini-Sirieix, 17, shared how she had struggled in the Women’s Synchronised 10m Platform, but said in that moment she had been reminded of Philippians 4:13, paraphrasing: “we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us”.

She said the verse was her inspiration as she and synchronised diving partner, Eden Cheng, went on to win silver.

Following a “historic night of athletics” which was “topped off with a silver medal”, Adenegan spoke of feeling blessed and said: “All glory to God as always! It’s all by his grace alone.”

On the same post, she also shared Colossians 3:23-24, which says: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

‘Only Jesus satisfies’

The wheelchair racer is often vocal about her faith online, and after winning two paralympic silver medals in Tokyo last year, she explained that her contentment comes not from success, but from her faith.

“I have experienced a lot in my sporting career so far. I am living out the dream of my 12 year old self. Yet these feats cannot and do not satisfy. Year after year, event after event; the pursuit for achievement can be tiring. I have fed on the ‘well dones’ and ‘congratulations’, but they too do not satisfy. It feels like a continuous fight, fear of disappointment can be paralysing. No matter how much you achieve, it does not satisfy. Only Jesus satisfies.

“The greatest achievement of this year has been falling in love with Jesus again. It may sound strange but if only you knew what you could have, what is available to you; a love, joy, peace and satisfaction that isn’t based on performance. I’m no longer chasing after the wind of perceived success. If it isn’t for self-glory, it is for him because he is my glory.

“‘Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord’- Philippians 3:8”.