Now a naturalized citizen,
Dlagnev is competing in his second Summer Olympics for Team USA in the 125kg
division. But more importantly is his commitment to putting God first in all
areas of his life. In this conversation, he talks about his unique upbringing,
how he became a Christian, and how he applies his faith to his wrestling career:
Chad Bonham: Tell me about your
upbringing and how that impacted your faith journey.
Tervel Dlagnev: Religion was
regulated in Eastern Europe. My dad was an atheist. I think he enjoyed shocking
people in the Texas area by saying he didn’t believe in God. As I got older, my
parents took a hands-off approach to spirituality. But God used wrestling to
reveal Himself to me. Wrestling is such a hard sport and it’s so personal. I
started to become introspective and I tried to manage my thoughts and my
feelings. I had a lot of fears and doubts. So I started to ask questions about
my nature.
One of my high school teammates shared the Gospel with me at a national tournament. I didn’t take it seriously at first but it planted some seeds in my heart. Once I got to college, I was surrounded by good people and some believers who had been following God for a long time. They took me to a lot of Bible studies and that’s when I started to understand the character of God. The Bible revealed to me a lot of the reasons why I was like the way I was. It was after my freshman year when I gave my life to Christ.
Bonham: What’s a biblical principle that has guided you on this Olympic journey?
Dlagnev: God will give you what you need. He’s always there for anything. But when I try to control things or the times I stress out, those are the times when I feel like I’m the least comfortable with my circumstances. But I’m most content when I’m taking time to pray and I’m seeking His face for answers. Christian athletes talk about doing things for the Lord. But for me, God has put that to the test, like when I just fell short in the Olympics in 2008. I had to rely on the fact that He is sovereign.
But He’s also loving and just. Sometimes I compartmentalize God, but there’s the revelation that He is a complete God. What’s happening to me is absolutely in His plan and it’s for my good. It’s going to turn out in the favor of justice. Understanding the fullness of God really comforts me in my circumstances. Athletes are always going to have struggles. Sometimes, their will won’t line up with God’s will. They might get angry or get frustrated and try to control the situation. But when you trust God, you can turn the control over to Him.
Bonham: What message do you hope your story sends to other wrestlers?
Dlagnev: Wrestlers at all levels deal with control. The flesh tugs at us. But don’t forget who God is and understand that if you put it all on yourself, it can get pretty stressful. There are so many links to the chain of wrestling. There are so many bases you can cover and you’ll just burn yourself out and stress yourself out to the point of having performance anxiety. That can cause you to back track in our development.
Work as hard as you can and have fun with the sport and use wisdom to recognize the things you need to get better at technically. All of those things are important, but you always need to have confidence in the fact that the result is ultimately in the hands of God. It will take a huge amount of fear and doubt and anxiety out of you.
You can't sit on the couch and expect to become an Olympic champion. You have to give all that you have and use your talents and abilities. But it’s refreshing to know that everything you have comes from God and He will use it. If you offer it up to Him, He will use it however He wants to use it in a sovereign, good and just way.
One of my high school teammates shared the Gospel with me at a national tournament. I didn’t take it seriously at first but it planted some seeds in my heart. Once I got to college, I was surrounded by good people and some believers who had been following God for a long time. They took me to a lot of Bible studies and that’s when I started to understand the character of God. The Bible revealed to me a lot of the reasons why I was like the way I was. It was after my freshman year when I gave my life to Christ.
Bonham: What’s a biblical principle that has guided you on this Olympic journey?
Dlagnev: God will give you what you need. He’s always there for anything. But when I try to control things or the times I stress out, those are the times when I feel like I’m the least comfortable with my circumstances. But I’m most content when I’m taking time to pray and I’m seeking His face for answers. Christian athletes talk about doing things for the Lord. But for me, God has put that to the test, like when I just fell short in the Olympics in 2008. I had to rely on the fact that He is sovereign.
But He’s also loving and just. Sometimes I compartmentalize God, but there’s the revelation that He is a complete God. What’s happening to me is absolutely in His plan and it’s for my good. It’s going to turn out in the favor of justice. Understanding the fullness of God really comforts me in my circumstances. Athletes are always going to have struggles. Sometimes, their will won’t line up with God’s will. They might get angry or get frustrated and try to control the situation. But when you trust God, you can turn the control over to Him.
Bonham: What message do you hope your story sends to other wrestlers?
Dlagnev: Wrestlers at all levels deal with control. The flesh tugs at us. But don’t forget who God is and understand that if you put it all on yourself, it can get pretty stressful. There are so many links to the chain of wrestling. There are so many bases you can cover and you’ll just burn yourself out and stress yourself out to the point of having performance anxiety. That can cause you to back track in our development.
Work as hard as you can and have fun with the sport and use wisdom to recognize the things you need to get better at technically. All of those things are important, but you always need to have confidence in the fact that the result is ultimately in the hands of God. It will take a huge amount of fear and doubt and anxiety out of you.
You can't sit on the couch and expect to become an Olympic champion. You have to give all that you have and use your talents and abilities. But it’s refreshing to know that everything you have comes from God and He will use it. If you offer it up to Him, He will use it however He wants to use it in a sovereign, good and just way.
Pick up Chad's book Glory of the Games, featuring inspiring stories from 17 Olympic athletes (past and present) such as Shannon Miller, Tobin Heath, Laura Wilkinson, Josh Davis, Michael Chang, and Kevin Durant, by clicking HERE.
Photo courtesy of US Olympic Team.
No comments:
Post a Comment