U.S. swimmer Hunter Armstrong is keeping his Olympic gold medal in the 4×100 relay in perspective. “I keep God as a priority,” he told “Baptist Press.” “I can’t really live without him. I can live without swimming or being an Olympian or any of that stuff.”
The gold medalist has used his platform to point people toward the Lord. In fact, he said his Christian faith is “the first thing I want people to see and know about me” — even in times when trusting in God has been difficult.
“When I’m in competition, I’ll pray, and that will last for a little bit,” Armstrong said. “Church camp, same kind of thing. But as soon as I didn’t need God anymore, it would fade.”
Armstrong has been transparent about his journey, acknowledging he has had to learn to rely on God in several areas of his life, including his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, whom he wanted to marry.
“That was my first real relationship,” he said. “I had a proposal planned out. I was already preordering the ring. I was certain that I was going to marry this girl, and I quickly watched it all crumble.”
That shocking breakup was so difficult for Armstrong, he recalled even struggling to get out of bed in the morning. This depression that led him to seek counseling and spiritual guidance. Looking back, he said pain is often the “biggest catalyst for change in life, and God will put you in a position where you have no other choice than to turn to him.”
Armstrong has continued to prioritize his faith since the start of the Olympic Games. He said he has been regularly attending Bible studies since being invited by fellow Team USA swimmer Carson Foster.
“I’ve overcome so much this year that I’m just happy to be here,” he said. “Obviously, I want to have a great performance for myself, my country and my teammates. But if I walk away and I don’t have a single medal or a single best time, I can still walk away knowing that I represented myself well and God.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice