Right after Tobin Heath helped the US soccer team win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, beating Japan 5-2 in Vancouver, Canada, on Sunday, she inspired fellow Christians from around the world by thanking God for the victory and expressing pride for her faith.
Heath scored the seventh and final goal in that match, which set a new record as the highest scoring Final in FIFA Women's World Cup history.
Heath is a 27-year-old athlete who has won two Olympic gold medals. Right before the Women's World Cup final this year, she thanked God several times on her Twitter account, and even posted a photo of herself with her head bowed down in prayer on her Instagram account, and captioned it with the Bible verse from Philippians 4:6-7.
The athlete has remained steadfast on her faith. Back in 2011 when she was interviewed by Belief Net, she said she plays soccer to glorify God and serve as a positive role models to other young girls.
"If you see being a role model as a platform where you can pour into others for Jesus with love, that's where I want to be. Becoming known or noticed in my sport isn't what drives me to work hard and want to be the best I can be. It's Jesus. That's why I play. I play to glorify Him," she said.
"I try to keep that as my motivation when I step out on the field every day whether it's practice or a game. It's to work as hard as I can in thankfulness for what He's given me and hopefully some of that can come back to Him," Heath added.
Not only does Heath want to inspire fans and lead them to God, but she is also working on touching the lives of her teammates. "They see where your foundation lies in those moments of life's ups and downs," she explained. "You can also be there for them to share the love of Christ to them through those times when they're in need and desperate for some truth in their lives."
The Christian athlete said that it does not matter if they win or lose in a game. What's more important to her is the fact that they make every game about God and how He was able to transform lives and give everybody who follows Him true love, purpose, meaning, and satisfaction.
