Olympic Athlete Offers Advice to Skeptics, Those Who Feel Lost: 'There Is a God Out There'
For people who feel lost, those who don't know what to believe anymore, a famous track and field star who has won numerous medals in her sport has something to say that can turn things around.
"Even if you don't know what to pray for ... there is a God out there and you can talk to Him," said Sanya Richards-Ross, 32, an American athlete who won numerous medals—including several golds—in the Olympics and world championships from 2002 to 2015.
She has just written her memoir, titled "Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me about God and Life."
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Speaking to Faithwire, Richard-Ross said her book records the many ups and downs of her life, where she learned empowering lessons about hope, grace and perseverance, which she now wants to share to everyone.
She revealed that the toughest time in her athletic career happened in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing where she failed to win the gold in the women's 400 meters event, as she had expected, getting only the bronze.
"I certainly felt crushed and felt like I didn't understand why it happened," she said.
In another interview with People, Richard-Ross explained her failure to win gold in Beijing, which she also recalled in her memoir.
She said her problem started when she had an unexpected pregnancy earlier in 2008. That pregnancy threatened to ruin her athletic career just at the time when "everything I ever wanted seemed to be within reach."
She said at the time she was only thinking of herself and what others would think of her. "What would my sponsors, my family, my church, and my fans think of me?" she asked herself.
She decided to abort her baby just days before her Olympic event in Beijing.
"I made a decision that broke me, and one from which I would not immediately heal," she wrote. "Abortion would now forever be a part of my life. A scarlet letter I never thought I'd wear. I was a champion— and not just an ordinary one, but a world-class, record-breaking champion."
Because of that decision, she said she "fell into a depth of despair."
Her doctor advised her to avoid exercise for two weeks following the abortion. But she dismissed the advice and went to Beijing to compete in the Olympics.
During the race, Richards-Ross suffered cramps in her hamstring as the gold medal slipped from her hand. She consoled herself with a third place finish.
At that point, she said she felt "broken, physically and emotionally."
Richards-Ross said by sharing her joys and hardships she hopes "to encourage people to stay the course and achieve their highest potential."
"Sometimes, we have to just trust the pace of our lives and know that God knows best," she told Faithwire.
She said God's love has been especially profound in her life.
"It's the most rewarding thing when you do feel God's love in almost an indescribable level, which I've experienced in my life when I literally feel like God has held me in his arms and told me how much he loves for me and cares for me," she said.
