Courtney McGrailA medal-winning British athlete at the Paralympian Games in Rio has spoken of how her trust in God led to success after devastating injuries threatened to ruin her athletics career.
Stefanie Reid scooped Britain’s first medal at the Games, taking silver in the long jump event. This was her third Paralympic medal since 2008.
However, a serious boating accident when Stefanie was 16 demonstrates how far she has come in achieving Paralympic glory. Caught by the propeller of a boat, the injuries inflicted led to Stefanie undergoing surgery to have a leg amputated. But, as she recalls: “I prayed for a second chance. God answered that prayer. He saved my life… But it was confusing. Why would God bless me with passion and ability for sport, only to take it away? Over the next few months and years, God revealed to me that he put my drive and love for competition in me for a reason. I didn’t need to change, I just needed to apply it in a different way.”
Today the medal winner offers advice to other sporting hopefuls: “The best piece of advice I can give you is to be open to God’s plan. He thinks on a bigger scale than we do, and he can see the whole picture, from beginning to end.”