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In the three years since the 31-year-old Flowers made sports history, she has also won the Wilma Rudolph Athletic Olympian Award, been named one of Essence magazine's 50 most inspiring African Americans, and became the mother of twin boys. Her life has been golden. She says she owes it all to God.

Wherever she competes, Johnny and their 3-year-old twins, Jaden and Jorden, are in tow. "I won't do this sport if I can't take [my boys] with me," she says.

In February Flowers plans to defend her Olympic gold medal and race with her new partner, Jean Racine, in Torino, Italy.

Before 2002, the charming, soft-spoken woman who describes herself as reserved, couldn't have imagined being a motivational and public speaker. But she says she's finding the courage to do it. "Before I won the gold, I didn't like standing before people and talking, but since then, I've been invited to speak," Flowers says. "I feel that God has given me this gold medal to share His message. It feels natural now."

She's also remembering what her coach said after her gold-medal win. "Vonetta, God did not let you win this medal for you or for me," coach DeWitt Thomas told her. "The Lord let you win so you can look at another young girl [from the ghetto] like you and be able to encourage her."

For more information, visit www.vonettaflowers.com.

B. Denise Hawkins is a freelance writer and editor living in Fairfax, Virginia.

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine.
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