Olympic gymnast Brody Malone recently shared his Christian faith and how God has helped him through a severe injury over the past year. The 24-year-old athlete from Georgia explained how he looks to God to guide him through the challenges he faces, particularly with the devastating injury he sustained in 2023.
During a competition last year, Malone slipped off the bar while attempting to dismount, resulting in a fractured tibia and multiple torn ligaments. This injury would prove to be a major setback for the athlete, who would be forced to learn to walk again before returning to his sport. However, he cherished the ability to compete in the Olympics again.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Malone stated. “I mean, especially given everything that has happened last year with my knee injury. It’s been incredible. It’s been a crazy journey coming back to this point. A little over a year ago, I was learning how to walk again for the second time, and here I am with a bronze medal around my neck on the podium with my team, and it’s just incredible.”
The athlete then explained the role his faith plays in keeping him motivated amid challenges. “I mean, the thing that keeps me going through all of that is my faith in God. Being able to lean on him when times get hard is everything,” he said. Not only that, but just having my family, my teammates, I mean, you know, we have a brotherhood. Just having so many people who are that close in my life, it’s just been amazing, and I’m so grateful for all of it.”
Malone offered an inspiring message to younger generations of athletes who have hopes to compete in the Olympics. “I mean, my message to them is to work hard, and you can make anything happen. It’s been my dream since I was little to bring home an Olympic medal as a team, and we set that goal, and here we are, and we made it happen,” he said.
The Christian Tribune has reported extensively on other displays of Christian faith from athletes around the world. Canadian Olympic skateboarder Cordano Russell gave glory to God just before competing in his competition in Paris. The 19-year-old proudly shouted, “Jesus is King!” as the cameras focused in on him.
Speaking to reporters, he explained that he feels his involvement in skating is divine guidance. “Honestly, I feel like it was truly divine,” he said. “Like, out of all of the things that I could have found, a skateboard in the Midwest. In St. Louis, Missouri. It’s not a big skate scene out there like in Chicago or New York, you know? I’m like on the East Coast side in St. Louis, Missouri. I feel like it was truly destined for me to be a skateboarder.”
Further addressing the importance of his Christian faith he said, “Honestly, it empowers me. I know where my true identity is, and that is in the Lord. So, I wanted to use my time, talents and treasures and ultimately be able to inspire others through that, through my faith, through who I am.”
Featured image credit: American Samoa Track and Field Association, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brody_Malone_Gymnastics_at_the_2020_Summer_Olympics.jpg