A Conversation with 2008 Olympic Champion Decathlete Bryan Clay

Until 2008, only five American men had won the Olympic gold medal in the iconic decathlon event: Jim Thorpe (1912), Bob Mathias (1948 and 1952), Rafer Johnson (1960), Bruce Jenner (1976) and Dan O’Brien (1996). That all changed at the 2008 Games in Beijing when Bryan Clay added his name to that impressive list. 

In this conversation, Clay talks about his gold medal performance, how his unique upbringing brought faith into his life, and how he has balanced his career expectations with a healthy perspective of how God sees him:

Chad Bonham: When did you first realize that the Olympic dream was something that might be attainable?

Bryan Clay: I didn’t really know that I could be an Olympian until I qualified for the Olympics. You always set goals but for me it wasn’t much different than a kid saying, “I want to be in the NFL.” It was just a dream. You don’t actually expect it to happen. I would say that I wanted to be an Olympian, but it was just a means to remain popular and cool. So even when I was competing at the U.S. championships in 2001, I finished in third place but there were a couple guys that were missing that could score higher than what I scored. Then I went back the next year and finished second. I scored a little higher but I felt like maybe I just gotten lucky again. The thought of making the Olympics still didn’t make sense to me. Then in 2003, I scored a little bit higher but then I got injured. So I thought everything would have to go just right for me to make the Olympic team. Then in 2004, we knew there was the possibility I could make the team, but it wasn’t a reality until I stepped onto the track for the first event of the year—which was the U.S. Championships—and I ended up winning the trials. That’s when it was like, “Oh, I guess I can do this Olympics thing.”

Bonham: How has your faith played a role in this Olympic journey?

Clay: When I was a kid, my mom left. She became a Christian while she was gone and came back. That’s sort of the shortened version. When she came back, she started making us go to church. I said the prayer numerous times in junior high and high school to ask Christ into my heart. Every time I went to church I’d say the prayer again because I didn’t understand how God could be okay with the type of person that I was. I wasn’t a good kid. So when I got to college, I got into trouble and continued to make bad decisions. My faith was through my parents, through my mom. It wasn’t my own faith. I wasn’t convicted by it. I didn’t make decisions based on my faith. My beliefs in things like politics and what was right and wrong didn’t match up with what my (Christian) faith would dictate. It was just what I thought was okay. 

So it was during my junior year that I hit rock bottom and I had some soul searching to do. I was at a crossroads and had to decide if I wanted to maintain this lifestyle I was living. When I looked down that path I was headed down, God gave me a clear vision of where it was leading and I didn’t want to have anything to do with it, so I turned the opposite direction and ran the opposite way and I’ve been running that way ever since and things have been great. My faith is my foundation. It’s where I draw my strength. Without my faith, I think it would be very easy for me to have a family that’s in disarray, to have my priorities out of order, to make decisions that could derail my path to success. But because I have this foundation of faith, I like to believe that it’s my compass. It keeps me on the path that I want to be on. It keeps my family one of my priorities and it allows me to have balance in my life. It allows me to make good decisions that will bear good results.

Without my faith, I think that I’d be lost and I don’t think that I’d be as successful as I am today. Through my faith and through track, I’ve learned so many life lessons and learned so much about myself. My journey has been unbelievably fulfilling and now I get to take those lessons that I’ve learned and I get to talk to corporations and Boys and Girls Clubs and churches and teams and my kids. I get to share those things all over the world and with all different walks of life in the hopes that I might inspire them to be the best that they can be and so they can have true success in whatever it is they’re doing.

Bonham: Throughout your career, how have you managed your own expectations and the world’s expectations versus the reality that your identity isn’t wrapped up in the results?

Clay: There’s this whole question of, “Does God really care if you win?” There are people starving in Africa. Do you really think he cares if you win a gold medal? I’ve seen five people praying before a race and I might think, “Just let me be Your favorite today.” That’s not necessarily what God is concerned about. Does God care if you win a game or a race or a gold medal? I’m going to venture out and say, no, probably not. But what He does care about are the lessons you’ve learned along the way through the win or the loss. Whether you win or lose, I think God’s number one goal for you is that you bring glory back to Him. If that means you have to lose for God to get the glory, then that’s what’s going to happen. If you have to win for God to get the glory, then that’s what’s going to happen. But that’s what God is concerned with. He’s concerned with the journey, with the lessons and the process of refining.

Bonham: How do you hope that your athletic success impacts others?

Clay: I just want His will to be done in my life. My ultimate desire is for God to be glorified. I want people to see God’s faithfulness in my life and hopefully they’ll be inspired. That’s what I’m trying to do with my book. I’m not trying to beat anyone over the head with Bible and tell them that they’re going to hell if they don’t accept Christ. My goal is to tell my story and hopefully people will see God’s faithfulness through that and not be able to deny that there’s a God. Ultimately I believe that what my medals are for. I like to call them my stones of remembrance. When I go around and show people my medals, people say, “How did you that? How did you manage a family and your foundation and the media and training six or seven hours a day? How did you manage that and still be successful? How was your wife okay with you being gone for weeks at a time and she’s still happy and your kids are happy? How did you travel over a hundred thousand miles a year? How did you do it?” That presents the opportunity for me to talk about God’s faithfulness in my life. I think that’s what God is concerned about when it comes to sports and what we’re trying to do as athletes.

Check out Chad Bonham’s book Glory of the Games featuring Olympic athletes such as Shannon Miller, Dave Johnson, Josh Davis, Tamika Catchings, Ruth Riley, Michael Chang, and Tobin Heath.

Photos courtesy of US Olympic Team/NBC Sports.

A Conversation with Groundbreaking Summer and Winter Olympic Medalist Lauryn Williams

Lauryn Williams has traveled quite the Olympic journey. She dashed onto the scene with a surprising silver medal performance at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, and then failed to medal in 2008. But Williams triumphantly returned to the podium in 2012 to receive a gold medal alongside her 4x100-meter relay teammates.

Not ready to call it a career, Williams traded in her track cleats for bobspikes and has found renewed energy as a key member of the U.S. Women’s Bobsleigh Team where she made history at the 2014 Sochi games as the first American woman to win a medal in both Summer and Winter Olympic Games (and the sixth athlete overall).

But more importantly, Williams has grown in her Christian faith and come to a greater understanding of what it means to have a relationship with God. In this interview, Williams talks about her athletic journey, the transition into bobsledding, and how she hopes to impact others through prayer and influence:

Chad Bonham: I remember your first Olympics in 2004 when you were one of the younger competitors and you had a lot of expectations within the track community. How much of that 21-year old athlete has remained and how much has changed?

Lauryn Williams: I think I am very different now than back then. The talent is still inside me and the fight has recently resurfaced but other than that I am completely different.

Bonham: After some disappointing results in the previous Olympic relay races, how satisfying was it to finally get the gold medal in 2012?

Williams: It was wonderful to be part of helping that team get a gold medal. The lesson for me was learning how to play my role and appreciate it.

Bonham: How did you first get interested in bobsledding?

Williams: I bumped into Lolo Jones at an airport and I asked about her experience.

Bonham: What do you enjoy most about the sport?

Williams: It’s a small culture that loves what it does and could care less about fame and fortune. Bobsledders just want to do this because they love it and it shows each and every day.

Bonham: Tell me about your spiritual journey.

Williams: I was running away from a relationship with God because my father was forcing it on me. I went to find my own church to spite him and actually ended up loving it. From there, I began to grow in my own personal relationship with Christ. 

Bonham: For you, what does it mean to be a Christian athlete and do you feel any extra pressure that comes with the platform?

Williams: It’s all about understanding that God is behind every performance, good or bad, and that trusting Him will always leave you satisfied. Also, it’s about being given a grand stage to show your faith and God’s love through your performances. I really don’t feel any extra pressure being a Christian athlete.

Bonham: What are some specific ways that your faith in God has helped you through challenges in your athletic career and your life in general?

Williams: I’ve been able to trust that He always has a plan for me and that everything is happening according to His plan.

Bonham: What are some things you feel like He is teaching you today through His Word, through His Spirit or through the example of others?

Williams: I am learning a lot about collaborating and understanding different perspectives. I have not worked in this sort of team environment before so I have a lot of room for growth. I’m also learning how to pray for others in a more specific way than I have done previously.

Bonham: How important is it to have teammates that share your beliefs and how often do you lean on each other for spiritual and emotional support?

Williams: It’s tough when you’re unsure about a teammate’s beliefs or when you have to standby as you watch a non-believer struggle. As I get older, I often see how knowing and believing God’s words can prevent and relieve both major and minor conflicts. I try to exercise wisdom and understanding so I can be a positive example.

Bonham: What is the ultimate message you want people to see through your life as an athlete, an Olympian and as a follower of Christ?

Williams: It is better to be happy than sad, grateful instead of entitled, and loved by the Lord than loved by the world.

Check out Chad Bonham’s book Glory of the Games featuring Olympic athletes such as Shannon Miller, Dave Johnson, Josh Davis, Tamika Catchings, Ruth Riley, Michael Chang, and Tobin Heath.

Photos courtesy of USA Olympic Team/NBC Sports.

A Conversation with Olympic Champion Hurdler Dawn Harper-Nelson

Growing up in a rough East Saint Louis neighborhood, Dawn Harper-Nelson knows something about overcoming the odds. But her natural leaping ability and speed put her on the proverbial fast track to follow in the footsteps of another hometown hero—Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

While not many expected much from her at the 2008 Beijing Games, Harper-Nelson again defied the odds with a gold medal performance in the 100-meter hurdles and won proved it wasn’t a fluke by repeating the feat at the 2011 World Championships and then taking the silver medal at the 2012 London Games.

In this conversation, Harper-Nelson talks about growing up in East Saint Louis, how injuries drew her closer to God and how winning gold in 2008 proved to be an enlightening experience:

Chad Bonham: When you were growing up in East Saint Louis, how much of your journey as an athlete was influenced by Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s legacy?

Dawn Harper-Nelson: When I was working out at the track, she would come and visit all the time. I’ll never forget the time that she came to me and said she saw something special in me and that I could go really far. So going through elementary, junior high and high school, Jackie Joyner was the known name.

Bonham: We often hear about how East Saint Louis and how tough it is to live there. Is that an accurate portrayal or is it sometimes exaggerated?

Harper-Nelson: It was tough. I wouldn’t say that people exaggerate about East Saint Louis. But it really depends on the parents and the way they raise their kids. There are just certain things you don’t want you’re kids around. There are certain neighborhoods in any community that might not be the safest, but for me, it wasn’t as tough because my mom made sure I stayed involved in positive things and my dad was a positive influence in my life and he made sure I didn’t fall into the trap of getting involved with the wrong kind of people. They also always told me that I had to have my grades right if I wanted to run track.

Bonham: When did you first get involved in track?

Harper-Nelson: It was about the time I was going into the seventh grade.

Bonham: When did you start to realize that you had potential to go far?

Harper-Nelson: I started to do hurdles in the eighth grade. That’s when I realized it was something special for me. When I started running in seventh grade, it was fun and I liked it, but I usually the third place girl. Then when I started to run with the hurdles, the light bulb came on and I was unbeatable. So my first year in high school, I ran at the state meet against the defending champion. She was a senior and I beat her and broke the record. So I realized, “Okay, I may be pretty good at this.” That’s when I realized I wanted to buckle down and do this for real.

Bonham: What led to your decision to go to UCLA?

Harper-Nelson: I don’t know exactly how UCLA came into the picture for me but I think I was mostly looking for a place that had great academics and a great track program. I was looking for a school that had the overall picture. My mom really stressed to me that I needed to keep up my grades in case track didn’t work out. And then when I went to visit UCLA, I was sold and they offered a full ride (scholarship) and that’s all I needed. That’s when I started hearing, “Well, that’s where Jackie Joyner-Kersee went and she was great so maybe you can do it too.” And I was like, “Oh Lord, what have I done to myself?” But it was good to have that (pressure) on me because I had to stay focused every day.

Bonham: How big of a role has Bob Kersee (Jackie’s husband) played in your development as an athlete?

Harper-Nelson: When I graduated in 2006, no shoe companies were offering me a deal. They offered me equipment but nothing that I could really live off. So Bob Kersee came to me and wanted me to keep my dream going. I didn’t have money to pay him and I worked three jobs and he still coached me. He believed in me and told me everyday, “I believe you have this gift.” And he gave me a hundred percent as a coach every time we were at the track.

Bonham: Tell me about your faith journey.

Harper-Nelson: My faith was definitely a part of me growing up. I went to church on Sundays, but I knew that God was real in my life. A lot of people start to look towards God when they get hurt, and when I hurt myself as a sophomore and had knee surgery, the doctors told me I would probably never run as fast again. I was only 15 years old and track was what I wanted to do. So when I came back from that, I realized there must be a bigger plan for me. And then, when I had knee surgery before the (2008) Olympics, that just sealed the deal. I was thinking, “There is another plan for me that I may not see for myself. I’m supposed to reach out to other people and show them what God can do because of what He’s done through me.” I knew that it was all about giving God the glory. And once I crossed the finish line, that’s the first thing that crossed my mind. A lot of people call me the “What” girl because once I won the race, you can watch the footage and see that I’m saying “What” over and over again. But what I was saying, was that

from this big ole globe, God chose this little girl from East Saint Louis out of all the kids who have said, “I want to go to the Olympics.” He knew that I could handle this—the knee surgery and all of the things that come with being an Olympic champion. He took the girl that no one thought would win. He chose me. He entrusted me with this. And after the race, I just broke down crying.

Bonham: When you won the gold medal, it seems like the coverage focused as much on the fact that Lolo Jones lost as it did on you winning. How did you deal with that interesting dynamic?

Harper-Nelson: I didn’t think much about it in the moment. But once I crossed the finish line and took my victory lap, it pretty much became reality during my interviews. The first thing they asked me was, “Did you see Lolo Jones hit the hurdle?” And I was thinking, “If I saw her, I would hit my hurdle.” Then they started to ask things like, “Where are you from?” I had made it to the finals. If someone makes it to the finals, don’t you think you should know a little about them? Because obviously they’re capable of being the best in the world. So they were asking, “Where are you from? Who is your coach?” And I remember one reporter was interviewing me and he looked down at his notebook and there was nothing on the page. So he just said, “Tell me about yourself.” But that’s where I really thanked God because no man can determine my journey. You don’t have to know me because I’ll make you know me.

Check out Chad Bonham’s book Glory of the Games featuring Olympic athletes such as Shannon Miller, Dave Johnson, Josh Davis, Tamika Catchings, Ruth Riley, Michael Chang, and Tobin Heath.

Photos courtesy of USA Olympic Team/NBC Sports.