The Testimony of a Christian Student-Athlete | Amber C. Conyers

The Testimony of a Christian

Student-Athlete by Amber C. Conyers

As I begin to look over my life, I think about the experiences I have had, whether it is deciding what career path to take, or to continue competing in Track & Field after an injury, or my life as a college athlete. How did my values and beliefs contribute to those experiences and decisions I have made? My beliefs have helped to influence the person I have become as a religious student athlete and the person I will continue to grow into as I continue through life. Being a student athlete, during the Track & Field season I find it sometimes difficult to maintain a constant relationship with God. I want to attend church every Sunday, but having track meets every weekend often makes that impossible. At times, I feel like my relationship with God is hindered. I have found that through prayer and reading scriptures on the bus, I cope with not being able to hear the Word of God in church as much as I want.

Throughout my entire undergraduate career, my religion has been the foundation of so many things that I have encountered and have had to endure. As a member of the Track & Field team, I have been held to a higher standard than nonathletic students have. I awake at half past five o’clock to prepare for six o’clock practices that flow straight into my eight o’clock classes. As a first-year student, I struggled so much because I had never been asked to follow such a demanding schedule. Every morning, I listen to Gospel music that encourages me to make it to practice. I remember times I prayed that God would just let me make it to the end of practice. I prayed to give my undivided attention and pass my classes. Prayer provided the comfort and the motivation to keep going. In Blessed are the Crazy, Sarah Griffith Lund writes, “It is the day-by-day, hour-by-hour practice of lifting our worries up in prayer that brings about change. By taking our worries to God in prayer, we can free our minds. Prayer may not, in and of itself, cure disease, but it can be a balm, a comfort, and, most importantly, a way to survive” (7). Growing up in a religious home my mother instilled in me the importance of prayer and having a relationship with God. After years of going to church and listening to my pastor preach about having strong faith, I can appreciate the power of prayer to take me the distance. In Matthew 17.20, the writer states, “For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” This scripture played a significant role in my life after I pulled my hamstring during my junior year. This injury ended my indoor season early and completely took away my outdoor season. I was devastated and had many negative thoughts such as losing my full scholarship due to my partial participation, my hamstring not healing properly or fully, and the loss of my teammates’ respect. I had felt like a failure to the point I did not think God was there for me anymore. In church, I began to find my strength and self-identity as well. One sermon that really helped me emphasized how God allowed trials and tribulations to make an individual a better person. I began to see how my injury could make me a better version of myself. I completed rehab. During my senior year, I performed even better than before my injury. Both prayer and religion made me stronger both physically and mentally.

I also believe that my religion helped define who I am as a person. The Book of Proverbs describes how a wise man will live a righteous and prosperous life, while a fool will ultimately bring disaster upon himself. I try to do things in the way a wise person would. For example, I strongly believe in taking counsel from those who are older than I am. I find that in order to become wise you have to learn from your own mistakes and the mistakes of those before you.

Another example of how religion has contributed to my own identity would be how I treat others. Growing up, I have always been told to “love thy neighbor” or to “love thy enemy as your own brother”. This is so significant in one’s everyday life because not everyone will treat you with the same respect that you give. This circumstance occurred in the Old Testament with the story of Hagar. Hagar was an Egyptian slave used as a surrogate for Abraham and Sarah. Once Hagar became pregnant, Sarah began to mistreat her, causing Hagar to flee from the abuse. Situations like that have occurred in my life on the track, in the workplace, and even at internships where I felt like I wanted to run away from my problems. It is important to realize who you are and not to allow people to offend you so much that they can bring you out of your character. Therefore, instead of fighting hate with hate I choose to fight with love. Ultimately, Hagar believed in God’s promise to her and He never left her, even when she returned home to the harsh treatment of Sarah or when Sarah demanded that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away. To me, Hagar signifies the power of God’s promises and how He continues to stay with us through every obstacle life gives us. Hagar survived much like women do every day, and I continue to identify with her. My upbringing in a religious household has influenced my life in many ways. The power of God has brought me through so many obstacles that I know I would not have made it through on my own. My religious background has shaped me into being an individual of love, respect, and understanding.

Amber completed her degree in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Health Professions and a Minor in Chemistry. She is currently a second-year graduate research student at Delaware State University, obtaining her Master’s in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience.

Works Cited

Lund, Sandra Griffith. Blessed Are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness, Family, and Church. Chalice Press, 2014.