Olympic snowboarder Kelly Clark has already soared to new heights in her sport, but she has managed to remain grounded in her Christian faith.
But this wasn't always the case for Clark, according to Christian Headlines. Her career started to climb at the age of 18 when she competed and won the gold medal during the 2002 Olympics in Park City, Utah. After winning, she started being featured in TV interviews, marketing campaigns, and was even honored during a hometown parade.
Despite it all, Clark felt empty. "In all those external successes, I was really looking for that sense of significance," she told Fellowship of Christian Athletes Magazine. "I think our greatest need as humans is to be significant, and we'll look for that everywhere. That's just what I did with my snowboarding."
A fellow snowboarder named Natalie McLeod noticed that Clark was feeling lost in life, so she wrote Clark's name in her journal with the prayer: "Jesus, I just ask that you would save this person." Clark never knew about it until she herself stumbled into God.
Clark was already struggling with depression when she heard two women talk. One of them was consoling her friend who didn't qualify for the finals after a fall. "Hey, it's all right," the friend said. "God still loves you." The words really resonated with Clark, so she rushed back to her hotel room and looked for a Bible.
She didn't know how to read it, FCA.org reports, so she looked for the woman from the event, who was staying at the same hotel. "I think you might be a Christian," she told the woman, "and I think you need to tell me about God."
Clark became a Christian with the woman's help, and unsurprisingly, she found her purpose in life. Several months later, McLeod's brother happily told her about Clark's conversion. "We were so excited, especially in an industry that can be totally crazy," said McLeod, who promptly invited Clark to her church and even showed her new friend her journal entry from the previous year.
"Thank you," Clark simply told her, "for praying."
Clark's thirst for God was only beginning then, and she devoured Christian books with gusto. One of her favorites is "The Purpose Driven Life" by Pastor Rick Warren, and Clark said it "laid one of the best foundations I ever could have hoped for." Clark completely changed her lifestyle and even got baptized, and she now loves her "genuine life" as a Christian.
Even her coach, Rick Bower, was amazed by her transformation. "[Her faith] helped her focus," Bower said. "It gave her some perspective that was beyond just herself. She found a purpose in life."
