Around the world, Christians live out their calling in many ways, including in athletics. These six Olympic athletes have used their global platform as an opportunity to share the gospel. They are competing at an elite level in their sport and use that as a catalyst for telling others about the ways God has worked in their own lives. In a world where division is everywhere, this year’s Winter Olympics provide a chance for global Christians to root for their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Anders Johnson – Speed Skating, Canada
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Canadian speed skater Anders Johnson is making his Olympic debut at the Milan Cortina Games. He and his teammates won gold in the men’s team sprint event at the 2024 World Speed Skating Championships, breaking the world record despite their status as underdogs entering the competition. As he reflected on his experiences in competitive skating, Johnson mentioned, “Eric Liddell said when he ran, he felt God’s pleasure. I feel the same way when I am skating.”
Growing up in a Christian home, Johnson started skating around the age of 3. He is now pursuing a degree in theology from Liberty University while continuing his speed skating career. As a way of putting his degree to use as an athlete, he works to be a light to those around him. “The Lord has opened up really good conversations, and I have been able to share the gospel with teammates and coaches,” he said.
Elana Meyers Taylor – Bobsledding, USA
Milan Cortina is the fifth Olympic Games that Elana Meyers Taylor, a mom of two, has competed in. With three silver and two bronze medals, Taylor is hoping for gold this year. Her husband, Nic, has also competed in the Winter Olympics, and the two met at a Bible study held near the US Olympic Training Center in New York in 2011. Before they got married, the couple got baptized together.
Growing up, Taylor played softball and wanted to become a professional softball player. In college, it became the center of her life, yet she struggled with depression and an eating disorder. She played professionally in Michigan after graduating from George Washington University but still felt like something was missing in her life. She started researching different religions and found Jesus. “All of a sudden I just started crying, I was reading the book and it just hit me that Jesus is the way,” she said. “It was so strong and so powerful.”
She debuted in the Olympics in 2010, after starting to bobsled in 2007. As she continues in her Olympic career, Taylor said her ultimate aim is to glorify God. “Regardless of whether I win a gold medal or never compete again, I just have to trust that God has a plan for my life and I’m called to be his representative through the sport and outside of the sport,” she said.
Jaccob Slavin – Hockey, USA
The defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes qualified for his first Olympic Games in 2026, following a series of injuries that ruled him out of 29 games this NHL season.
Jaccob Slavin is a father of two and an outspoken Christian. On his Instagram bio, he writes, “All Glory to God … Galatians 1:10.” Only after acknowledging his faith and his family does the athlete recognize his decorated hockey career.
From his hometown of Erie, Colorado, to the Olympic Games in Italy, Slavin has been open about how his faith and athletic career intersect. In both 2021 and 2024, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in the NHL, which signifies sportsmanship, good conduct, and excellent playing ability. He is now in his 11th season playing in the NHL, and despite his injuries this season, the Olympic committee selected Salvin to play for Team USA this winter.
Slavin emphasized his greater purpose in Christ. “We’re supposed to go evangelize,” he said as he reflected on sharing his faith with a curious teammate. “We’re supposed to share the good news of the gospel.”
Paul Schommer – Biathlon, USA
“Redeemed by Jesus,” reads the Instagram bio of two-time Olympian Paul Schommer. Schommer competes in the biathlon, an event that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
Schommer was originally a wrestler, following in his father’s footsteps. But after his dad passed away in a car accident, the high schooler stopped playing sports. A year later, his brother encouraged him to join a cross-country ski club at their high school. Schommer continued skiing competitively at College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, where he earned All-American.
In college, his coach Chad Salmela, a former Olympic biathlete, began to encourage him to pursue the Olympics.
While reflecting on what he has learned about his relationship with the Lord through his time as an Olympic athlete, he told the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, “The biggest thing I’ve learned is just the faithfulness of God always coming through. Without feeling called and led by God, there would be a good chance I would’ve quit right after I first started the biathlon.”
Tage Thompson – Hockey, USA
Buffalo Sabres’ center Tage Thompson is a team USA men’s hockey player, and this will be his first time competing in the Olympics.
Thompson is no stranger to the international stage, though. He has competed at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships in 2018, 2021, and 2025, winning two bronzes and a gold, respectively. In 2018, doctors diagnosed his wife with a rare type of cancer. While she is now cancer free, Thompson has faced many highs and lows over the last few years, both in his career and personal life, that have tested his faith.
Thompson grew up in a Christian home, but his faith became his own while attending college at Yukon University. One of his teammates was a Christian and began inviting him to church and helping answer his questions about faith. “Had he not talked to me about the Bible and about Christ, I might not be as firm of a believer as I am today,” Thompson said.
Teddy Blueger – Hockey, Latvia
Teddy Blueger, a Stanley Cup winner, has played in the NHL since 2018, but at the Winter Olympics this year, he will be representing his birth country, Latvia.
In a recent Bible reading plan published by Compassion International on YouVersion, Blueger speaks alongside other Christian athletes. “Hebrews 12 calls us to live in peace with everyone and to mutually encourage our brothers and sisters so no bitterness will take root,” he said. “Just as a team can’t win when ‘me’ goes at the forefront, we can’t run our spiritual race well when we’re running it by ourselves.”
Blueger went to an Episcopalian high school but said he did not begin to take his personal faith seriously until about three years ago. “It’s been a couple years, and it’s been an awesome journey. God has done some amazing things in [my] life,” Blueger said. Around the time he was coming to faith in Christ, he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. While that felt disorienting for Blueger and his family, that was the season that he helped the team win the Stanley Cup.
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