Michell Akers, a star of the USA women's soccer team that just won the World
Cup, tells her story about how she and her team-mates won Olympic Gold:
The Olympic podium is a moment many dream about. It is exactly as you imagine
it. Almost surreal. Extremely emotional. Tears. Laughter. Disbelief. Joy. All at
once and all overwhelming. A friend told me that when she watched me on TV, it
was almost as if she were intruding: It was such an intimate moment. She was
right. It was like I was standing up there with God. I knew that I hadn't
accomplished this goal on my own. I knew that it was Him working in me.
My first thought when they placed that gold medal around my neck was, Wow!
That's heavy, then, Wow! That's shiny, and finally, Wow! This is MINE. Then they
played our national anthem. Whoa. I had watched so many other athletes sing
their anthems and often wondered how I would react. What would I do if I won? I
put my hand on my chest, found the American flag atop the stadium, struggled not
to cry, and belted it out!
After the ceremony, I returned to the training room to load up on intravenous
fluid for re-hydration while my teammates went to the post-game party. I didn't
arrive at the event until 3 a.m. and was too sick to celebrate, but it didn't
matter. I had what I wanted, and the people I love most were with me. It was
incredible to win the gold medal. But even more incredible was my journey with
God and the bumpy and long road I traveled to get to the podium.
As a kid, I was a typical tomboy. I sported my No. 75 "Mean" Joe Greene
Pittsburgh Steelers jersey and dreamed of catching the winning touchdown at the
Super Bowl. I hated to lose. Even if I lost in Monopoly, I got mad. When I was
eight my mom signed me up for soccer. We lost a lot at first and I begged my mom
to let me quit. She refused. Plus our uniforms were pink and yellow. Girlie
colors-the worst!
Soon enough, I fell in love with the game. I thought I'd grow up to be a pro
soccer player in Europe or a paramedic. Unfortunately, I had also become the
epitome of a rebellious teenager: skipping school, dating older guys,
experimenting with drugs, lying. My parents' divorce only added to my adolescent
confusion. The only person I really talked to about my life was a soccer coach
at school, Mr. Kovats. I was intrigued by him and why he was so excited about
being a Christian. And why was he so happy? Mr. Kovats definitely knew something
I didn't.
One day after practice, Mr. Kovats drove me home. We sat in his rusted-out,
lime-green pick-up truck for the millionth time and talked. This time I cried my
heart out. I hated who I was becoming, what I was doing to my family, and what
was going on inside. I was angry. I was sad. I was confused. I knew I needed
something. Or someone. I told Mr. Kovats that I wanted what he had: a
relationship with God.
I was afraid of what the kids at school would think if I became a Christian, but
it wasn't the real reason I hesitated. I was just plain scared. Since my
parents' divorce, I found it difficult to trust-and now to hope that what Mr.
Kovats said about Jesus iving me joy was almost too much. If I committed to this
and it didn't work out . . . Well, that just seemed too much to risk.
But this time I was at the end of my rope. I was desperate, alone and afraid. We
bowed our heads and I repeated a prayer Mr. Kovats said to begin a relationship
with Christ. Immediately, I felt a rush of peace inside. A physical feeling of
warmth. I took a deep breath, and all the fear, confusion and worry left me.
Something had happened, but what? From that moment forward, I was a different
person. Nothing anyone would notice at first, but in time, that moment became a
turning point in who I was and how I lived my life. It didn't take long,
however, before I forgot all that Christ had done for me. I received a
scholarship to college, was a four-time All-American, won a World Cup in 1991
and was named the best player in the world. I got married, traveled the globe
and became the first woman player to have a paid endorsement. I had the world at
my fingertips. Then in 1994, after three years of battling extreme fatigue and
illness, I hit rock bottom. I couldn't manage to get out of bed and brush my
teeth, nevertheless run and play soccer. Migraines racked my head while I
sweated through three tee-shirts a night. Finally, I was diagnosed with Chronic
Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS). On top of all that, my
four-year marriage ended. I was sick, alone and disillusioned with life.
Even though I couldn't put it into words at the time, I had a feeling I needed
to get things right with God. I hadn't spent much time thinking about spiritual
things since I was in high school and Mr. Kovats introduced me to his faith in
Christ. I still went to church on Easter and Christmas, but I didn't bring
religion into my daily life. God was definitely not a part of my marriage nor my
soccer career. I made my own decisions and dealt with the consequences; and I
thought I had done a pretty good job. Until now.
I was so sick I couldn't take a five-minute walk without needing two days on the
couch to recover. I was forced to spend a lot of time thinking about who I was.
That was the hardest thing. I couldn't distract myself with soccer or friends
because I was so ill. I was forced to look at my life. I didn't like what I saw.
At that point, I was glad to give God anything He wanted. "You can have this
stuff," I said. "You can have this body. You can have this life. You can have
me. Because I've made a mess of everything."
I began attending church again and learning more about Christ. I think I knew
deep down that my focus had been wrong for a great many years, but I feared
being a "spiritual nut": What would my friends, fans and the world think of me?
Me-the tough, independent athlete-reading the Bible and giving up control. My
other worry was this: How could I still enjoy life, be a fun person, and also
follow God? So many rules and so many high expectations.
Looking back, I think God was gently, patiently tapping me on the shoulder and
calling my name for years. But I continuously brushed him off, saying, "Hey, I
know what I am doing. I can make these decisions. Leave me alone." Then I think
He finally said, "OK," crossed his arms and looked at me sadly-because he knew I
was going to make a lot of mistakes by ignoring Him. He knew I would be hurting
in the future.
It took total devastation before I would acquiesce and say, "OK, God. You can
have my life." It took everything crashing down before I came crawling back to
God, pleading, "Please, help me."
But it wasn't a punishment. I am not bitter about any of my struggles. They were
a wake-up call. Some people take a tap on the shoulder; I needed a sledgehammer
to the head! God was saying to me, "Pay attention! This is important! Rely on me
and I will give you what you need."
All those fears about rules and giving up who I am have subsided or are
subsiding. I've even lost interest in maintaining parts of the old me. I can't
wait for God to change those parts that always get me in trouble. I have changed
a lot, and a big change is in the things that are missing: fear, loneliness and
frustration.
I've also found that life is more exciting God's way. It's even more of a
challenge, because my dreams are so small compared to His. That's what happened
in the Olympics. Because of CFIDS, some doctors told me to retire. I was
struggling to make it through practices and I wondered if I was hurting the
team. Then, thanks to a special diet, I had more energy; I was able to play.
After each game, however, I had to have Ivs-a needle to put two or three liters
of saline back in my body. Another needle drained my knee. Our trainers had to
tape me up in so many places, they joked that I was usurping half the U.S.
Soccer Federation budget. But with their help and God's power, I somehow made
it.
It wasn't me fighting like I have in the past, it was me giving in and letting
God take me through it. It has taken a while for me to get to this point, but I
can honestly trust Him with my life. God promises to give me all the resources I
need to deal with whatever is thrown at me, and the Olympics Games are a perfect
example. They are about conquering obstacles. They are about incredible passion,
fire, desire. Standing on the podium, I knew it was about becoming more than you
are. The day after our gold-medal win, I wrote this in my journal:
"My thoughts are scattered and disjointed, but the sentiment and unforgettable
memories will forever be embedded in my heart. My mind keeps returning to the
past few years when I thought I was so alone, so isolated in my struggles and
pain. God is so good. Through it all, He was preparing me for this moment, this
experience. So faithful. He took it all away, but He gave me back so much more.
"I go to bed tonight an Olympic Champion."
Randy Walker
Thanks to Inspirations
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