Sometimes Olympic Athletes

SOMETIMES OLYMPIC ATHLETES face the choice to play it safe and earn a lesser medal or to go all out in the quest for the gold. In the 2002 Salt Lake City snowboarding competition, Kelly Clark left it all on the halfpipe.

The 18-year-old American stood securely in second place after her first run. But Clark wasn’t feeling great. Several days earlier in practice, she had fallen and injured her tailbone. Medication and physical therapy brought some relief, but the deep bruise caused nagging pain. Before her second attempt, she contemplated holding back and being content with the silver, since only the best run actually counted.

Despite her injury, Clark’s competitive nature wouldn’t allow her to do anything but go big. Fueled by adrenaline, she attacked the halfpipe with determination—she wanted that gold.

With rock music blasting, the Mount Snow, Vermont, native stunned the judges with her amplitude and acrobatics. The five-member panel awarded her a combined score of 47.9 out of a possible 50.

France’s Doriane Vidal, the leader prior to Clark’s run, watched her performance with a combination of dismay and admiration. Before the results flashed on the board, Vidal knew Clark had taken the gold. She deserved it. Clark’s tremendous performance brought the United States its first championship in the Salt Lake City Games.

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POINT Some might have thought Kelly Clark foolish for competing in the Olympics with her injury. Once she’d clinched the silver, others could have considered her foolish for fighting through pain to gain the gold. But her wisdom and competitive drive pushed her to victory.

The Bible talks about God using seemingly foolish things to overcome what most people believe to be wise. God’s wisdom is often viewed as foolish. He said the first will be last and that you should serve if you want to lead. God wants every Christian to follow his wisdom.

GOAL! With a friend or family member, think of some statements from the Bible that sound foolish at first, such as “The last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16, NIV) or “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26, NIV). Find the wisdom in those statements. Praise God for the wisdom he gives.