Jonathan Edwards is one of the
best-known British athletes. He
holds the world record for the
triple jump and has won two
Olympic medals.
Jonathan Edwards said: ‘As my
faith became my own, I came to
see Sunday differently. I was an
athlete to serve God, so I felt it
was okay for me to make up my
own mind . . . a question of
looking at the Bible and asking
what is right or wrong. I decided
it wasn’t wrong’
Jonathan Edwards said: ‘ For
people of all religions, it should
be a question of conscience. I
would respect the commitment
to God of anyone who doesn’t
want to compete on a holy day’.
His father was a minister in the
church and he was brought up
as a devout Christian. He said: ‘I
cannot remember a time when
God didn’t play a big part in my
life’.
In 1988, Jonathan’s faith almost
cost him a place in the British
Olympic team. He was due to
enter the trials until he
discovered that they were to be
held on a Sunday.
Jonathan Edwards said: ‘My
faith has been a big part of my
motivation. Faith is a spur to
getting up in the morning, an
energising force in achieving
what I did. I don’t see my gifts
as something I have by chance.
There is a design and purpose
and I should use them to glorify
God’.
Jonathan Edwards did not do so
well in the 1992 Olympics. He
says that, ‘God isn’t worried
about my winning or losing. It
may seem like life and death to
an athlete but it’s not the most
important thing, not by a long
way’.
Jonathan Edwards is grateful for
the support he received from
sports chaplains. At the 2004
Olympics, for example, there
were a team of 40 Anglican and
Protestant chaplains to support
the athletes.
Questions on Jonathan Edwards
1. What is he famous for?
2. How did he become a Christian?
3. What problem did his faith cause for his chances in
the Olympics and why was it such a problem? What
did he decide in the end?
4. What does he think about athletes who refuse to
compete on a holy day?
5. How has Jonathan Edwards’ faith helped him in his
sport?
6. How did his faith help him when he did not do so
well?
7. Where do religious athletes get support?