"I jump into a sand pit for a living"
My Olympic Dream
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Katie Taylor, London, Simon & Schuster, 2012. ISBN 978-1-47112-593-5
The book tells the story of Katie’s career culminating in the Gold medal in the 2012 Olympics in women’s boxing. Towards half the 216 pages are photos, many full page. It is an intriguing story of the “girl next door” who not only played football for Ireland but also won world and Olympic boxing titles while seemingly keeping her feet firmly on the ground.
At the heart of everything Katie Taylor does is her strong Christian faith, which permeates the book. She devotes a chapter to it, in which she says: “I have always talked openly about my Christian faith. Nowadays, it seems that talking about Jesus has become a private or personal matter; it’s almost taboo to talk about Him in public. But for me it is natural to talk about God, because my faith is not separate from every other aspect of my life; instead it is central to every aspect, and that includes boxing. I know people have questioned why I’m always thanking God after every fight, but it’s natural to acknowledge the people who have helped you achieve something great, and I know more than anything else that I wouldn’t have an Olympic gold medal if I did not have God in my life”.
The importance of her faith is made clear from the inclusion of two Bible verses on the title page. “For His Honour God honours those who honour Him” and “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Her ritual before every fight includes time with her mam, praying and receiving a Bible verse. For example, the verse from Isaiah which was chosen for the Olympic final was telling Katie “not to focus on who was standing opposite me in the ring, but to focus on the God who is always standing beside me, both in and out of the ring”. Some people may find the integration of faith and sport strange but for Katie it is clearly quite natural and part of who she is. Elsewhere in the book she refers to immersing herself in scriptures and countering doubts with Scripture. A favourite is Psalm 18, with its reference to God who “ trains my hand for battle”.
For those who feel that boxing is a strange way to express the love of God for humanity, Katie has a coherent answer. “My view is that people who say those things know neither boxing nor the heart of God, because I believe that it is God who has given me this talent for boxing. I believe this is a gift and that it is my God-given destiny to be a boxer. For me that is absolutely clear. I’m privileged to glorify His name through my boxing. To say that Christianity and boxing are incompatible also misses the point that the aim in boxing is to outscore an opponent, not to hurt them”.
She continues with reference to some of her heroes from thee Bible such as David, Gideon and Samson and the fact that “God isn’t exactly squeamish when it comes to fighting “ and that Jesus is not referred to as the Lion of Judah for nothing.
One practical outworking of her faith is that she will only accept sponsorship deals with “ethical” companies. This principle is expressed in her usual humble and gracious way: “I wouldn’t sponsor alcohol or bookmakers. Not because I think I’m better than someone who enjoys a drink or places a bet, but because those industries; don’t represent who I am”.
A good read and a compelling story of one woman’s quest to follow Jesus in the tough world of boxing.