OLYMPICS

Christian Athlete Has Edge on Competition

By Andrew Knox
For CWNews

June 4, 2004

CWNews.org – In August, thousands of athletes will face-off in Athens, Greece, for the Summer Olympics. The U.S. has big hopes for heptathlete Shelia Burrell. Based on what she's learned from her past Olympic competition, she's got a whole new perspective.

Shelia said, "When I was a kid I played volleyball, basketball, and I ran track, and I was big you know, I ran with the boys. The coolest thing was being the fastest girl. You know like if you can beat all the boys in PE class you got something going."

Burrell is now one of the best athletes in the world. The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native was All-State in track, basketball, and volleyball in high school. Colleges offered her scholarships in all three sports. She was recruited to UCLA as a heptathelete. The heptathalon is a grueling 2-day, 7-events competition in track and field.

Shelia told us, "The men do the decathlon and the women do the heptathlon."

She further explained, "So usually the champion of the heptathlon or the decathlon is considered the world's greatest female or male athlete. It's 7 events over 2 days and those 7 events are: the 100 meter hurdles, the high jump, the shot put, the 200 meters, and that's 'day one.' Then the long jump, the javelin, the 800 meters, and that's 'day two'."

Shelia has had great success in the heptathlon. She won the bronze medal during the 2001 world championships. She was the U.S. outdoor champion for 2002 and 2003 when she was ranked as the number one heptathlete in the US. and number two in the world.

While on the track, Shelia says she hears God's voice. She said, "I've been used to training by myself for a while. Since I got saved, I remember walking out on the track one day and immediately the presence of God was there."

She added, "I can always hear God when I'm on the track. I've been out on the track and gotten a tongue-lashing from God before, you know, not doing things I know I should be doing. And I'm like thinking, "God, why are you yelling at me?"

Four years ago, Shelia competed in the Olympic games in Sydney. She was in the best shape of her life, and had high hopes for a gold medal. But those hopes were crushed because of one event. She explained, "I 'no heighted' in the high jump, which means I scored no points in that one event."

Shelia said, "I couldn't believe the world didn't come crashing in. I was still okay, 'cause God had to teach me that it doesn't matter how you perform. How you perform is not who you are. People say athletics builds character, I believe athletics reveals character.

She added, "And from there you can start to work, that's how God works. I'd rather be saved then win a gold medal."

Actually, Shelia finds her identity in her relationship with Jesus Christ. That helps her prepare for competition with the greatest athletes in the world this summer in Athens.

Shelia said, "The Bible says we're fearfully and wonderfully made, and that each person has a purpose, a destiny, that God made you the way you are, for a reason."

She assessed what she's up against, "There are people out there that have better scores than I do. There are people that have won medals that I haven't won. There are people out there that have accomplished things that I want to accomplish. There are people that I am competing against who just flat out, if you look at them-and their marks, their scores, and their performances-are better then I am."

"But." she said with a big smile, "[It's}God I believe." Shelia is currently training for the 2004 Olympic games. Her confidence is not in her own ability, but in the One who gave that ability to her.

Shelia said, "Your confidence is everything. And at a certain point your confidence in what you are capable of doing, in your natural body, goes [only] so far. Your confidence has to then turn into trust. In trusting in something you can grab a hold of, and trust in something that you just have, and that trust is faith.

"And so", she finished, "this time around, my faith is increased, and I'm walking into the Olympic games saying, you know what, God is on my side, and with man it's impossible, but with God all things are possible."

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