"God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast and when I run, I feel his pleasure."
Terezinha Guilhermina
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved Acts 4:12The Paralympics began in Rio this week. I want to introduce you to someone who will be running in her home country.
Terezinha Guilhermina is a blind Brazilian sprinter who runs with a guide. Born with pigmentary retinosis, she describes herself as having 5% vision. She has 4 brothers and sisters who also have visual impairment.
She has won medals in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Paralympics - 6 Paralympic and 10 World Championship medals in all. She said of the 2012 London games, where she took gold in the 200 metres: “London was the most special competition of my life. I prepared myself real well physically, psychologically and spiritually for it. It was a present of God for me, that competition, the Games in London, in all aspects”.
She had a life-changing experience when she was 19: “I met Jesus. I turned every aspect of my life to Him and until today He has been in control of everything. I can only be thankful to have such a wonderful God. The only difference between me and the worst of human beings is that I have Jesus. That I am happy today as an athlete and fulfilled as a human being, I have no doubt that it is because of Him”.
But what about not being able to see, does she blame God? “No, I don’t believe that God made a mistake when He made me blind. He simply gave eyes to other people, so that when I need them I could borrow them”.
What an inspirational person who personifies Paralympic sport!