Where is God in the Olympics?

Rich, our Head of Sport and Faith, shares his thoughts on this Olympic season.

"For me, the joy of the Olympics is being able to watch 10,500 athletes from 206 countries compete in 329 events across 32 different sports. This is then followed by the Paralympics, featuring 4,400 athletes from 206 countries compete in 549 events across 22 different sports. 

It creates a huge sense of inspiration for all of us to get active. It encourages us to have fun, and to give all sorts of sports a try this summer and into the coming months. 

I don’t think there is any better sporting competition in the world which inspires others to enjoy the breadth of sport and movement. The joy of moving, of teammates, of competition. 

The Olympics and Paralympics are held in Paris this year. Exactly a century ago did Paris host the Olympics of 1924, where Eric Liddell won bronze in the 200-metre final, and gold in the 400-metre final. I cannot help but pause on his most famous quote: 

‘I believe God made me for a purpose - but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure'. 

There was a joy in listening to Team GB swimmer Adam Peaty being interviewed after his silver medal performance on Sunday, day 2 of the Games. It was also inspiring to listen to swimmer Mark Foster, five-time Olympian and six-time World Champion, talk about Adam's journey. He spoke about witnessing changes in Adam over the last few years as he found his purpose, and that for Adam, it is more than just winning; it is about faith and his family. 

As I listened to this, I was reminded of Eric Liddell. Eric described this sense of encountering God as he ran. This is a huge joy and a challenge for me, and as I think about Sportily and our desire to invite others to encounter God, I think about the ways that we have maybe forgotten, through our bodies and through movement. 

We have an opportunity to help others find their purpose. Sport and movement can be the best place for this to take place." 

Click here to find out what's on near you this summer.