Vashti Cunningham is ready for the Women's high jump on August 18 in Rio de Janeiro, and is known to be a deeply committed Christian.
Her father, Randall Cunningham, is a former NFL quarterback player who retired in 2001, and is now a football coach and pastor of Remnant Ministries Church which he and his wife Felicity (who was also a professional ballerina) founded in 2004. The church started with a weekly Bible study at their home, but now has over 1,000 members.
Randall Cunningham, who is also Vashti's coach and pastor, said that Vashti trusts God while playing her sport, and that she derives her strength from God.
"Mental training is about the inner being, in my opinion, and (Vashti) trusts God. A lot of athletes are strong Christians, because when you exhaust yourself with believing in yourself, you have to believe in the Truth," he told CBS Sports.
The high jumper was named after the Persian queen Vashti in the Book of Esther, who refused to come to the banquet given by her husband King Xerxes.
Her father is also in Rio at present, and is as involved in his daughter's training as she is herself.
"I think it more becomes a reality when you get there," Cunningham said. "The focal point for all of us right now as a family is to train, to relax and to prepare our hearts and minds, we need to get ready for the time change and things like that."
Randall said that the family hinges on God to make it through the concerns in life.
"We trust God," he added. "We rely on God."
