Tatjana Smith has proudly revealed that winning a gold medal at the Olympics has no comparison to her strong faith in God. The Christian swimmer recently won first and second place in the 100m and 200 breaststroke, respectively.
The 27-year-old has now retired and is planning to pursue the next chapter of her life.
TATJANA TREASURES HER FAITH MORE THAN HER MEDALS
On her Instagram Stories, Tatjana Smith shared a quote she had said after winning gold and silver in the Olympics.
She said, “No medal will ever compare to the feeling you have when you 100% trust in God for the outcome, win or lose. This time, I am humbled to have won.”
The post shared on the Instagram account @_christhlete, was liked by Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, whose wife Rachel is the sister of Tatjana’s husband, Joel Smith.
Siya commented: “Amen and amen.”Last week, the 27-year-old wore a T-shirt with the names of all those who had helped her succeed in her swimming career. At the top of the list was “God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit”.
Tatjana also revealed that she favoured wearing her cross earrings while competing in races.
She said: “It just represents something about me and why I do it. It’s to glorify God and doesn’t necessarily mean winning gold medals.”
Olympic swimmer Tatjana Smith has paid tribute to those who inspired her swimming career. Image via Instagram: @tatjanaschoen
WAYDE VAN NIEKERK’S DEDICATION TO GOD
Like Tatjana Smith, Olympic sprinter Wayde van Niekerk has also spoken fervently about his faith.
At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Wayde said of his record-breaking gold win in the 400m: “Jesus did it”.
A picture of the star’s running shoes with the handwritten words: “Jesus, I’m all yours. Use me” went viral around the world.
Speaking to the media after his victory, the emotional athlete said: “Everything that comes my way, I thank the Lord. I leave every race and every step I take in his hands. I trust him in every movement I do.”