Four-time Olympic gold medallist Allyson Felix is ready for the Rio Games, but it's her faith she puts first in life.
The winner of 30 championship medals has always been vocal about her faith.
"Faith leads my life. That's definitely the reason that I run. I definitely feel like I've been blessed with this gift, and so that's something that helps me to see the bigger picture," she told Los Angeles Times.
She said in an FCA video that God revealed himself to her many times in her career.
She quoted Eric Liddell on her Instagram to say: "God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."
"Ever since the beginning ... I had a plan for my life and it definitely wasn't this, and so I think right away, it's like, OK, this is a different path than I was going to go down. If this is what the Lord's will is, then let's go with it." She said in the video, "I try to live my life for Christ."
However, things did not always work out for her as she might have expected. Last year she sustained an ankle injury, because of which she could not compete for the woman's 200 meters team in Rio, and had to settle for 4X400 relay races.
Felix said that many times she wants faith to be the answer to everything, but she still is not at that place.
"There are very real moments that are hard, but I think that it helps me to be able to learn the lesson that there is a purpose, a reason why maybe that happened, and it can create something in you and it might be preparing you for something better in the future," she told the Los Angeles Times.
Felix grew up in a devout Christian home. Her father is a seminary professor, and church was a very important part of their family lives.
"I am so blessed to have my family and the upbringing that I did. It means so much to me to have two very godly parents who both have so much wisdom. They are amazing role models that I have had the privilege to watch as I grew up," she wrote for Beyond the Ultimate blog, where athletes with deep Christian faith share their testimonies.
"I came to know Jesus Christ as my personal Savior at a very young age. Ever since then, I have continually been striving to grown in my relationship with God. I was nowhere close to the perfect child. I had my share of difficult times along with some disappointing choices that I made, but thankfully God never stops loving me," she continued.
Felix hopes that she could be a witness to Christ through her character and approach to life.
"I'm currently a work in progress and like anyone else I face struggles every day. My goal is to be more Christ-like each and every day and that is not an easy task. I know that I'm trying to be something different from [other Olympic runners] and after I run I hope that people can distinguish [Christ-like] character in the way I present myself."
