The Christians in Sport Podcast

'Dialogue dinners' or 'meals with a message', are a brilliant way to discuss and share faith with friends at university, yet it can feel intimidating inviting friends over to talk about Jesus. In this special podcast episode, Duncan chats with three students about their experience of sharing their faith at university. 0:00 Intro 1:27 The joys and challenges of university sport 7:37 What is it like to share Jesus in university sport? 17:32 What was it like running a dialogue dinner? 27:03 What was it like after running a dialogue dinner? 32:40 What advice would you give to someone looking to run a dialogue dinner?

Over 9 million people play sport each week and millions more watch and talk about sport regularly. At the start of one of the biggest sporting summers in history, we sit down with missiologist and evangelist Phil Knox, to discuss six ways people come to faith today, and how we can make the most of this summer of sport to share the good news of Jesus. Thanks to the Evangelical Alliance for partnering with us to make this podcast, find out more about the Evangelical Alliance

This year's Mental Health Awareness Week is themed around movement, including sport and this week we have a special episode with Heather Lewis, project manager at the Mental Health Foundation. Alongside her work, Heather has a specific academic interest in elite sport, having completed a Master's at St. Mary's Twickenham on mental health within a Rugby World Cup context. The Mental Health Foundation is there for people of all faiths and none, this conversation includes Heather's reflections on her personal faith and how that plays out in her work, sport and research. Find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week

Jason Romano is the Director of Media with Sports Spectrum and the host of the popular Sports Spectrum Podcast – probably the most popular sports and faith podcast and blog globally. For 17 years, he was an Emmy-Award winning Producer and Senior Manager at ESPN. He has created and produced content for shows such as SportsCenter, NFL LIVE, Mike and Mike in the Morning, Sunday NFL Countdown, College Gameday, Outside the Lines, MLB's All Star Game and many more. Listen for how Jason's reflections on thousands of conversations with top-level Christian athletes across many different sports. (0:00) Intro and Jason's bio (2:55) How did you get into sports broadcasting (6:23) How did faith fit with a career in broadcasting at ESPN? (10:53) How did you see sport and faith fitting together specifically? (15:06) How hard was it to leave ESPN to work for Sports Spectrum? (21:35) What do pro-athletes say when they speak of their faith? (26:33) Is it becoming more acceptable to speak about faith for elite athletes now? (31:08) What are your thoughts on the public witness of pro athletes on social media? (36:01) How should we view Christian professional athletes with large public profiles?  (37:01) Outro

Gill's story as a Christian, mother and marathon runner is inspiring. Taking up marathon running in 2011, Gill progressed to a personal best of 2:53:22 in 2016, all while working and more recently becoming a mum. Listen for how Gill's identity in Christ is game-changing for her sport, church, to family life. (0:00) Intro and Jan's bio (1:30) What does it mean to have your sport and faith connected? (3:16) How Gill got into running marathons (5:52) Running highlights, and challenges so far (9:35) How does Gill balance running, work, church and family life? (13:53) What's it like to share faith with other runners? (17:21) Is it hard for people in church to understand your commitment to running? (20:21) Positive changes and possible pitfalls for women's running as the sport evolves. (26:33) Coming back to running after pregnancy (30:51) Has running shaped your faith? (33:57) Outro

On nights out the best opportunity to chat may well be outside in the smoking area, away from the noise and where it's natural to have a deeper conversation. So, should you smoke on a night out to have gospel conversations with your teammates? (0:00) Intro (0:22) Today's question (0:53) We're called to share our faith (1:40) Permittable vs beneficial (2:42) Temple bodies (3:19) Damaged bodies (4:59) What can you do when the smoking conundrum arises? (7:17) Conclusion

Jan is a former long track and marathon speed skater, now working for Next Move Sports Ministries in the Netherlands. Jan decided to retire from skating at 22 because he struggled to connect his Christian faith with his passion for sport, yet now he helps top-level athletes to think through how they can combine faith in Christ with competing at the top level of sport.  Listen to find out how Jan's perspective shifted as he worked through what it means to be a Christian and a sportsperson. Find out more about Next Move Sports Ministries

John Bostock debuted for Crystal Palace at just 15 years old, still their youngest-ever first-team player. He signed for Spurs a year later but his career wasn't straightforward, spending years on loan and playing abroad.  He came to faith as a teenager and, in 2015, founded Ballers in God, an organisation that aims to disciple professional football players and to make Jesus known in the world of football.  Danno caught up with John at Notts County's ground, Meadow Lane to talk to him about his career as a professional player, and his mission to share the good news of Jesus in the world of football through Ballers in God. Find out more about Ballers in God

Jenny Tait is an Australian volleyball player, earning 66 caps for the Volleyroos indoor team as well as playing for Campbell University in the NCAA and at the top level in Europe. Jenny retired in 2020 and is now studying theology at Moore College in Sydney.  Danno caught up with Jenny to talk about her career in elite sport and her passion to continue working alongside Christian elite athletes now she's retired. (0:00) Intro (2:20) How do you connect your sport and faith? (2:55) What were your career highlights? (4:05) How did you get into volleyball? (5:19) How long did it take to start performing at an elite level? (9:20) How did you become a Christian? (13:11) What was church like as a new Christian and when you went home? (14:50) How did faith in Christ change your sport? (16:54) Identity, imposter syndrome, and the pressure of elite sport. (23:48) Retiring and working to support athletes' mental health (25:37) How has it been sharing faith in your sport? (27:40) Moving on to theological college, and hopes for future ministry

Alison Nicholas is a British golfer who reached the pinnacle of the sport in a highly successful career as both a player and then later on as the captain of a victorious Solheim Cup winning team in 2011. In a fascinating interview with Graham Daniels, she talks about what it looks like to be a successful leader and coach in elite sport and how her faith has helped her throughout her golfing career. (0:00) Intro (1:09) How Alison got into golf  (3:00) Progressing and joining the ladies European tour  (4:32) The key influencers in Alison's life and golf at the top level (5:55) Coming to Christ through golfers on the European tour (18:36) Stepping up to join the LPGA tour and playing in the states  (11:01) Winning the US open  (13:30) Being ruthless in competition with dignity  (15:03) Captaining The Solheim Cup and tough decisions  (17:20) Captaining for the second time (20:45) Rigorous leadership (24:42) The contrast between leading and playing  (27:59) Winning the Solheim Cup (29:25) Outro

Starting university is a really significant transition in life. It can be daunting, unpredictable and challenging as you move from home and look to join a new sports club. Here's six top tips to help you settle in well. 0:00 Intro 0:22 Today's question 0:48 Answer 1:14 Join a church 2:10 Follow Jesus from day one 2:50 Be committed to your sports club 3:32 Be ready for initiations and socials 4:35 Make disciples 5:10 Pray

As the 2023 Rugby World Cup kicks off we revisit a conversation with Garin Jenkins recorded in 2016. Garin is a former Welsh rugby union player capped 58 times by his country. He played in three World Cups and multiple Five and Six Nations tournaments. In conversation with Graham Daniels, he tells us about his battle with misdirected passion and aggression on the rugby field and how his growing faith remained steady as he endured massive ups and downs both on the pitch and off it. (00:00) Introduction (01:54) How Garin found out he'd won his first international cap (03:30) Making it to the international stage but feeling lost (04:50) Misdirected passion on the field and the battle for discipline (07:36) Garin's challenging upbringing and first steps of faith in God (09:24) A family disaster at a huge match against Cardiff (13:07) What it's like to realise you're playing at the top-level of sport (16:27) Reflections from Graham Daniels on the interview.

As a Christian sportsperson, what should you prioritise as you leave university behind and join the world of work? 0:00 Intro 0:22 Today's question 0:38 A significant transition 1:02 Find a church 1:58 Find a club 2:49 Be bold 3:09 Team Up 3:34 Be patient 3:56 Pray

Bertie Kennedy is a top-level cricket analyst who has worked with numerous clubs and franchises across professional cricket, including conducting the inaugural Hundred draft for the Northern Superchargers. He consults for numerous sporting teams to help them make better data-driven decisions alongside lecturing on the MSc in Performance Analysis at the University of Gloucestershire. We caught up with Bertie at his home in the southwest of England to talk about how his faith shapes the way he works in top-level sport. (0:58) How do your sport and faith connect (5:56) Getting in to the world of performance analysis (9:56) What does performance analysis look like now? (11:44) How do your faith and work go together? (14:11) Why is integrity important as a Christian in the workplace? (18:24) The influence of data in coaching elite players (23:26) What does the relationship between analyst and coach look like? (26:40) What soft skills do you need to be an analyst? (28:13) Treating elite players with empathy when using data (31:57) Common misconceptions about performance analysis (34:30) Outro

Can a Christian really bring glory to God in combat sports like boxing or martial arts? In this episode of AskCIS we look at what the Bible has to say about the use of violence in sport, and ask if it's possible to glorify God if violence is part of your sport. 0:00 Intro 0:22 Today's question 1:06 What is God's glory? 2:21 Is violence inherently wrong in sport? 4:31 What do combat sports promote? 5:31 Creativity 6:52 Character 7:26 Conscience

Fanie Van De Merwe is a multiple Paralympic Champion in track sprinting, with three Gold medals to his name across a career that saw him make three Paralympic Games. Fanie grew up with cerebral palsy but competed alongside able-bodied athletes until a coach suggested he focus on disability sport when he was 17. Fanie and his brother Chris now run a Christian non-profit called Inspired 2 Become, focusing on alternative action sports and athletes with disabilities and Fanie coaches visually and intellectually impaired children. Danno caught up with Fanie at his home in South Africa to talk about his journey to faith alongside his long career at the top of Paralympic sprinting. (01:07) How do your sport and faith connect? (02:57) Competing with able-bodied children at school and discovering disability sport (05:13) Athens 2004 and the start of Paralympic ambitions (09:11) How did faith play out as you trained to win at Beijing 2008 (12:33) How did you come to faith? (16:11) Seeing God as a father (19:46) Winning Gold at Beijing 2008 (23:48) Defending Gold at London 2012 but facing disappointment in the 200m (26:18) How identity in Christ shaped Fanie's perception of pressure & disappointment (29:47) Rio 2016 and retirement (34:34) Inspired to Become and supporting disabled young people

Issues around what women should wear for sport have been hotly debated in recent times, with plenty of opinions voiced about how much athletes should or shouldn't wear. Some sports even regulate the type of kit female athletes can wear whilst leaving male athletes to choose for themselves. In this episode of AskCIS Rosie Woodbridge takes us through biblical principles on clothing and how we can use these to think about how we dress to train and compete. 0:00 Intro 0:22 Today's question 0:30 Response 0:57 The context 3:42 Where is this an issue for you? 4:27 What does the Bible say? 7:22 What does this look like in sport? 9:20 Summary

Eating disorders are disproportionately common in sport, and can be hugely damaging to athletes' physical and mental health. Jonny caught up with Rosie to talk about her experience of battling her eating disorder alongside playing Ultimate Frisbee for Great Britain, and how her faith shaped this struggle. Read more about rosie's eating disorder 

How can you respond if someone says you shouldn't let your child compete on a Sunday? It's a big question that could come easily from another parent, a church leader, or a Christan friend.  In this episode of AskCIS we dig into this question by opening up the Bible to see how God's word might shape a response. Read more about Sunday sport: https://christiansinsport.org.uk/academy/topic/church/ (0:00) Intro (0:23) Today's question (1:19) Decisions need to be made (2:25) Be fully convinced (4:24) Be open in your approach (5:30) Principles for responding

For many the season is over, and Wednesdays are no longer taken up with BUCS fixtures. Then once exams are over everything can become a bit of a blur. But what about reaching the world of sport for Christ? How does that fit into the last month of university life? (0:00) Intro (0:22) Today's question (0:48) Answer (1:10) Circumstances change but the need for Jesus doesn't (2:21) There's nothing to lose (3:46) Four things you can do (4:00) Pray (4:08) Continue to share life (4:37) Boldy proclaim before you go (5:03) Revision break or post-exam event

Matthew Joseph is the man 'coaching the coaches' at Arsenal Football Club's Academy. Matthew played as an Arsenal and England youth team player, gaining an Arsenal pro contract at eighteen. However, at nineteen he was released by Arsenal, a decision that he says broke his heart. He went on to play over 400 games in English League Football for Cambridge United and Leyton Orient before retiring and becoming a coach at the FA. In 2022 Matthew completed a career circle, rejoining Arsenal to oversee the Academy Coaching staff.   Danno caught up with Matthew to talk about his playing career, his role now as Academy Coach Developer at Arsenal F.C. and what it looks like to live as a Christian in the high-pressure world that is professional football. (1:15) How do your sport and faith connect? (2:08) What's it like to be released from a Football Academy? (8:27) Coping with being released. (11:22) Identity in retirement and becoming a Christian (15:33) Why do you want to be a coach? (19:46) Arsenal's values and caring for young players (23:07) How has the process of releasing academy players changed? (27:00) Managing young players on a performance pathway (28:10) What would you say to a parent of a player who's been released? (31:32) Understanding your value in a world dominated by performance (33:45) Being part of the Christians in Sport coaches network

What does it mean to play my sport for God's glory? We often see people on social media talk about ‘playing for God's glory' and ‘all for His glory' but what does this actually mean?  In this episode of AskCIS we seek to understand what it means to glorify God and how this might play out for Christian sportspeople. (0:00) - Intro (0:22) - Today's question (0:34) - Answer (0:55) - God's goal is to show off His Glory (1:46) - But we often get this wrong (3:50) - So, how can we glorify God in sport? (4:21) - We glorify Him as we compete (5:50) - We glorify God by declaring his greatness  (6:36) - Summary

Anastasia Chitty (Née Posner) represented Oxford University in five Boat Race crews as well as representing Great Britain at World Cups, World Championships and the World University Games. In 2020 Anastasia retired from rowing to complete her medical studies, giving up her opportunity to compete for a spot in the British Olympic team for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Danno caught up with Anastasia at her rowing club in Oxford to talk about her journey to faith and what it looked like to live as a Christian at the top-level of rowing. (1:00) How do your sport and faith connect? (1:51) How did you come to faith? (2:50) Coming to Oxford and growing in faith (4:45) The Boat Race (6:52) Rowing in the first televised Women's Boat Race (9:12) The transition from student-athlete to potential Olympian (13:45) The pressure of competition to go to the Olympics (15:16) Can you ever escape the pressure to perform? (17:46) How did your faith develop during this period as a full-time athlete? (21:30) What would have been different if you weren't a Christian? (24:16) Four things in play for elite Christian athletes (25:45) What did witness look like as a professional athlete? (28:10) How hard was it to decide not to continue to Tokyo 2020? (33:17)The role of Church for elite athletes (35:16) Where did Christians in Sport fit in? (38:32) Continuing rowing after stepping back

Fitness tracking and activity sharing apps have completely changed the landscape of athletic sports in recent years. In this episode of AskCIS we explore the benefits and potential pitfalls of Strava for the Christian athlete. (0:00) - Intro (0:22) - Today's question (0:42) - Answer (1:20) - Strava connects (2:20) - Strava consumes (3:26) - Strava constricts (4:14) - Should you use strava?

Not making the team is a tough scenario for players and athletes, particularly professionals who are under contract and unable to seek any alternative competition to enjoy. So, how can you respond in worship when you're constantly left out of selection? (0:00) - Intro (0:22) - Today's Question (0:46) - A common frustration for top-level players (1:10) - Three principles (2:09) - How do these play out? (4:59) - Be bold & how to leave well

Steve Stenstrom is a former NFL quarterback who played six seasons with the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos. Steve was a standout quarterback at Stanford University before being drafted to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1995 This week Greg caught up with Steve ahead of Superbowl LVII to talk about his journey to Jesus, his NFL Draft experience, grieving the loss of his brother, playing in the NFL and how his identity was key in managing the pressure there. (00:00) Intro (01:38) What does it mean for you to have your sport and faith connected? (3:30) How did you become a Christian? (7:10) Being drafted to the NFL during difficult season for Steve's family (14:20) Playing in the NFL and the challenge of living as a Christian in professional sport (16:40) Steve's first NFL game and facing serious injury (23:47) Dealing with retirement (26:50) Supporting today's NFL players

Karen Kennedy is one of Irish Hockey's most experienced campaigners, with over a hundred international caps including playing in two World Cups. Having retired from the top level seven years ago Karen is now getting back into playing alongside navigating the challenges that come with being the mother of two young sportspeople. Danno caught up with Karen in Belfast to talk about her hockey career - including two world cup tournaments - and what it looks like to live out faith in sport as both a top player and now a mother. (00:00) Intro (02:50) What does it mean to have your sport and faith connected? (04:30) How were sport and faith separate as you grew up? (7:02) How did your parents approach balancing between church and sport? (8:32) Would you take the same approach as your parents with your kids? (9:05) International debut in Italy and playing in the World Cup (11:20) Adapting during the transition to top-level sport as a university student (12:21) Did full-time study ease the pressure of playing at the highest level? (15:20) The journey to a second World Cup in Australia (17:45) How does faith in Christ shape your view of sporting disappointment (19:16) How long did it take to work out your identity as a Christian in sport (20:33) What was the transition like leaving top-level hockey (23:12) What was it like starting to play again? (25:40) How do you balance work, parenting, sport and life now? (27:34) Playing in the same team as your child (29:15) The opportunity of coaching

"I can do all things through the one who gives me strength." Really? Philippians 4:13 is a popular verse in the world of sport, and it's easy to see why - it sounds like the perfect motivation for sporting performance. But is that what the verse really means? (0:00) - Intro (0:22) - Today's Question (0:45) - Sportspeople are driven people (1:41) - Finding motivation in the Bible (2:30) - Can Christians really do all things with the strength of God? (3:15) - Why does Paul use these words? (6:07) - What is Philippians 4:13 really about?

Christmas is a time when most of us stop playing, taking time off work or study and sport to be with family and friends. But what if you're a professional athlete? Christmas is one of the busiest periods for professional football and rugby players, as well as many in other sports. So how can you take time out to celebrate the wonder of Christmas during a busy playing and training schedule? (0:00) - Intro (0:22) - Today's Question (0:40) - Missing out?  (1:49) - The first nativity (3:12) - How did the shepherds & magi respond to Jesus? (4:36) - How will you respond? (5:09) - Four practical tips

Michael Johnson is an experienced player and respected coach within English Football. Having played for Birmingham City and Jamaica he moved into coaching after retiring. Since then roles have included coaching England's U21 team for two years and head coaching Guyana's national men's team. Danno caught up with Michael at St. George's Park to chat to him about his coaching career and what it looks like to connect sport and faith at the top level of football. (01:30) What does it mean to have your sport, work and faith connected? (03:30) Mentoring for UEFA (05:08) Progressing as a coach against the backdrop of racism in professional football (08:44) What does it look like to mentor world-class players into coaching? (10:28) Why do top pro footballers struggle with retirement? (12:40) Facing retirement as a Christian (14:44) Coming to faith as a professional footballer (17:30) What does witness look like in top-level football (20:15) Michael's current role at England Football (26:38) Playing for Jamaica & the journey to head coaching Guyana (29:00) How has your faith influenced your career? (33:03) Peer support and mentoring other Christians within professional football (38:31) Thoughts on the England team and their world cup campaign

The FIFA World Cup is well underway, yet the conversation around the tournament continues to be dominated by controversial issues off the field. So how can a Christian respond to Qatar hosting the World Cup? (0:00) - Intro (0:23) - Today's Question (0:32) - Response (1:29) - Know who and where you are (3:13) - We can make God known through both protest and engagement. (4:52) - You could decide to boycott (5:43) - You are called to pray (7:23) - You can raise awareness and speak up about the issues

Fran Clarkson is the Women's Pathway Lead Physiotherapist at the English Football Association, and recently stepped in as the interim Lead Physio for the England Lionesses. She's an experienced practitioner in elite sport having worked with Derbyshire County Cricket Club, Trent Rockets, and the English Institute of Sport before moving to England Football. Join Danno as he chats to Fran about her career so far, and how her faith impacts her work alongside the world's best players. (0:00) What does it mean to have your sport, work and faith connect? (1:25) Making the jump from elite cricket to professional football (5:29) Starting out as a physio in professional sport at Derbyshire Cricket (7:46) Learning to integrate faith and work in elite sport (10:04) Caring for world class players beyond on-field performance (12:04) Working with England Women's senior team for the first time (13:32) How did you first connect sport and faith as a young person? (16:56) Is your faith respected at work? (18:38) What is the importance of church for you? (22:26) What are the challenges of living as a Christian in your role? (25:32) Reflections on the privilege of working in elite sport as a Christian

Supporting a child in elite sport can be thrilling, but it can easily add strain to family relationships as the time and cost of supporting them becomes part of family life. So, how can you maintain healthy family relationships, and keep Christ at the centre of your family as you support a child in elite sport? (0:00) - Intro (0:23) - Today's Question (1:09) - Response (1:16) - Parenting children in elite sport is tough (3:57) - How do we pursue healthy relationships (4:12) - Communication (5:45) - Pray (6:19) - Ground yourself in gospel truths

In the last few years, we have received several similar questions from elite athletes, students and parents of young sportspeople. They can be summarised in a simple question: "Dear Christians in Sport, should I wear rainbow laces?" (0:00) - Intro (0:23) - Today's Question (0:38) - Response (0:48) - What is in the background? (2:10) - What we can affirm (4:36) - What we cannot affirm (8:12) - So, what should we do?

Nick Ferraby is a former professional and international cricketer who represented Jersey in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifiers in 2018. Nick is now an assistant pastor at Jersey Baptist Church. Join Danno as he chats to Nick about his cricketing career, including 18 international matches, his journey to faith in Christ and how he's connected sport and faith in his life. (0:55) - How do your sport and faith connect? (4:00) - University sport and journey to faith in Christ. (10:40) - Faith bringing fulfilment not found in sport. (13:47) - Security in Christ transforming sport (19:16) - The challenge of living as a Christian in elite sport (25:00) - Moving to Jersey and the T20 World Cup (28:40) - The identity battle and disappointment in top-level sport (32:22) - Sport and the school of discipleship (34:56) - Authenticity in witness in elite sport

AskCIS is a new series where we think through the questions you send in to help you live and speak for Jesus in your sports club or team. Today we're answering a question from an elite athlete who's unsure about sports psychology. Join us as we look at what sports psychologists do and how they work before looking at what, if any, reservations Christian athletes should have about seeing sports psychologists.

AskCIS is a new series where we think through the questions you send in to help you live and speak for Jesus in your sports club or team. Today we're looking at university sports team initiations or 'welcome socials.' Depending on the culture at your university sports club, the experience of welcome drinks or socials can be drastically different. Here's three tips to help you consider how you might approach your sports team initiation.

AskCIS is a new series where we think through the questions you send in to help you live and speak for Jesus in your sports club or team. Today we're looking at how you can start well in a new sports club or team. Starting out in a new club or team isn't always easy, so we've put together four tips to help you get off to a good start as you look to share Jesus with your teammates.

In the field of sports psychology, few have gained as much professional experience as Tom Bates. Tom cut his teeth working in professional football at numerous clubs including Brentford, Aston Villa, and Birmingham City. More recently, Tom has worked with Olympic athletes across a range of sports including Swimming - coaching Adam Peaty to success in Tokyo 2020. Join Danno for a fascinating insight into sports psychology as he chats with Tom about his professional career, and his faith in Christ. You can find out more about Tom's work and purchase his book at: tombatescoaching.com (0:00) - What does connecting sport and faith mean to you? (4:27) - Sports psychology and performance culture at Aston Villa F.C. (7:27) - A day in the life of a sports psychologist (11:08) - Getting started in professional football coaching (14:48) - Surrendering to Christ (19:00) - Moving to Birmingham City F.C. (21:45) - Growing as a sports psychologist in the world of pro football (30:15) - The Future Coach: Writing the book (34:58) - Getting sacked and stepping into the world of Olympic sport (39:20) - Gold in Tokyo 2020 & drawing on God in highs and lows (41:10) - Killing the Ego & learning true identity in Christ

Sport is brilliant, but it's not always straightforward, it can be challenging to live as a Christian within the world of sport. AskCIS is a new series where we think through the questions you send in to help you live and speak for Jesus in your sports club or team. Competitive sport can't exist without winners and losers, but does God care about the outcome of a match or race? Let's look at what the Bible says about competition.

The Winter Olympics begin in Beijing on Friday under a mountain of controversy.  Beijing 2022 is not the only event suffering from allegations of human rights abuses and questions about whether they should have been awarded a major sports event. The FIFA World Cup next year in Qatar has also had large voices of opposition due to the poor treatment of migrant workers building the stadiums and accusations of slave labour. When a governing body chooses to compete however, is there anything an athlete should consider if they follow Jesus? Whilst it was definitely not the athlete's choice to select Beijing to host the games, they are the ones now facing questions about whether it is right to compete there and what to do when they arrive if they do. The letter of 1 Peter can help us think through how Christians should engage in our world as it was written to Christians feeling exiled and marginalised in the world and unsure how to act in it. Five truths from 1 Peter 2:9-17 can help us think through this issue.

At 19 years of age Jake threw in the towel. He gave up competing as a fighter, but this wasn't the only life change that occurred during his late teens. Join Danno as he chats to Jake about discovering his gift as a young martial artist, becoming North American and European Champion in Muay Thai, and the compatibility of combat sports with faith in Christ. 

Today's guest is Dr Suzanne Ferreira from Stellenbosch, South Africa. She's won 70 plus medals, through the athletes she coaches, at the Paralympic Games, the World Championships, the All-Africa Games, the Commonwealth Games.  She's been at the Paralympics as a coach in Beijing 2008, London 2021, Rio 2016 and the International Paralympic Committee World Championships in 2006, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017. She's been the the Western Cape coach of the year nearly every year since 2012 and finalist in the Coach of the Year for South Africa in 2008, 2016 and 2018. Currently she's out in Tokyo coaching at the Paralympics. In this episode, Graham Daniels speaks to her about her coaching philosophy and how her faith impacts how she trains elite athletes. You can listen to our podcast here, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts from. Find out more about the work of Christians in Sport at christiansinsport.org.uk

Danno sits down with Paralympic goal-ball player Anna Tipton (nee Sharkey). She played in eight European Championships, two World Championships and also competed in the Paralympics at London 2012. In this interview she speaks about how she got into goal-ball, the nature of elite sport and its challenges and how her faith shapes how she views her sport and her disability. 

We all get disappointed in our sport don't we? Whether it's from injury, loss of form or not being renewed for another year, sport is full of lows, probably more often than the highs. So we've got four-time Olympian Debbie Flood, and two-time Winter Olympian Adam Pengilly into to chat about their experiences of facing huge disappointments in their sports, and how they've come to process them and now help others do the same.  As it's the Christians in Sport podcast, our overarching question is how can we navigate disappointment as a Christian in the world of sport? What comfort does God offer to those struggling? Listen in to this really useful interview for all sportspeople.

The CEO of Skateboard GB, James Hope-Gill joins us today, on the day Sky Brown won bronze at Tokyo 2020 to become the youngest ever British medallist.  In a fascinating short conversation, he explains the distinct culture that skateboarding has, how he's helped form a governing body from scratch and how his faith impacts his work.

The Rev'd Canon Dr. Ashley Null is an internationally respected scholar on the grace and gratitude theology of the English Reformation. He teaches regularly in seminaries and churches in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Australia.  Meanwhile, Ashley serves as a chaplain to elite athletes and coaches, helping them to integrate the Reformation's emphasis on the unconditional love and grace of God with their vocation as professional sportspeople. Ashley is a five-time Olympic chaplain, most recently at Rio 2016. As we record our conversation, Ashley is Omaha for the US Swimming Olympic Trials prior to the Tokyo Olympics.  Our conversation today concerns his approach to the pastoral care of elite athletes...and it is gold!

In this re-release from 2016 in Rio, ex-athletes Debbie Flood and Adam Pengilly tell us what it is like to compete at the games. Debbie won silver medals as a rower at Athens and Beijing and also reached the final in London. Adam raced skeleton bobsleigh at Turin and Vancouver, winning a world silver medal in between. Here the pair offer an insider's view on the games and share how their Christian faith shaped their view of the Olympics. Listen as Debbie and Adam talk about… How they felt when they first got selected for the Olympics How faith in Jesus gave them perspective during the highs and the lows What it's like to be in the Olympic Village The emotions they experienced just before their races The joys of hurtling down a mountain at 90mph

A brand new series for Tokyo 2020 as we speak to Olympians, chaplains and coaches about what it means to be a Christian in the pinnacle of all sport. In this episode we speak with Christian Taylor, the two-time reigning Olympic and four-time reigning world triple-jump champion. We speak about: - The impact of the pandemic on athletes - The forming of the Athletics Association to speak for track and field athletes - How his faith has led to and impacted the work of the newly formed association Listen in and look out for further Tokyo 2020 episodes in weeks to come. 

Michael Johnson joins our podcast from St George's Park a few days after the Euro 2020 final. Jonno is currently an England U21s coach, having held a number of other roles in football after a stellar playing career primarily with Notts County, Birmingham City and Derby County. In this powerful interview we speak with him about: - Systemic racism in sport and society - The encouraging changes in the last 10 years at the FA with diversity - The leadership of Gareth Southgate around diversity - How he integrates his sport and faith in his various roles It's a super interview with some real insight. Enjoy. 

We sat down with Gavin Peacock, former professional footballer and pundit and now a pastor to discuss his story as he's just released his autobiography. Reflecting on an 18-year career as a pro playing for QPR, Gillingham, Bournemouth, Newcastle and Chelsea he talks about: - Coming to faith as a young pro - Why he took a risk and dropped down the leagues - Playing for some of the greatest managers around - Navigating retirement with a new career with Sky and the BBC - Life now as a pastor in Canada You can buy Gavin's book from all good bookshops including from his publisher Christian Focus here.