Nicola McDermott: The medal is silver but the speech is gold

After winning the High Jump Silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, Nicola McDermott said

“It’s my heart –I just want to say thank you to Australia for being on this journey with me. The gold, the silver, the silver is like gold for me today.

“My hope is that the stadiums will be filled again in our post-Covid world.

“But maybe not just for athletics performances but that we will see revivals again in the stadiums and that people would hear a message of faith and a gospel that will really inspire like they did with Billy Graham decades ago.

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“That is my dream for a medal (holds up her medal); I will definitely be jumping in Paris, I am going after that gold, but I want to keep putting my 100 per cent in.

“Because this is like a little bit of encouragement for just one person watching that anything is possible if you have faith – I have done my job.”

Interviewer: Oh, you have done your job. There are so many questions I ask want to ask you. I will start with your faith. When did this become such a significant part of your life?

“I think as a teenager, I was always an outcast, and I got welcomed into a faith community that loved me. And I just remember encountering God’s love, and it changed the way I thought of myself – as a misfit, why was I created so tall and stuff –  and it gave me passion and purpose to use it.

“In 2017 was my big moment when it flicked the switch, and I decided to pursue God over sport – whatever comes from sport is a bonus, but I am already complete  and perfect and loved as a person regardless of it.

“That just allowed me to soar over every high jump bar and not be scared anymore because I am loved, and that is the most important thing.

https://7plus.com.au/olympic-games-tokyo-athletics?video-id=7ATH-CD9SZ-DJRH6

Nine papers report: “Whenever she jumps, she writes a biblical reference on her wrist. On Saturday night, it read, “Jesus makes all things new”…

“Knowing I am with God,” she said. “He has been with me every single training session, and I am carrying a message bigger than myself. He is going to make this new.”

Pray

Some prayer points to help

Pray that Nicola’s McDermott’s words will cause people to consider the purpose of their life and the centre of her faith