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"God answers my prayers everywhere except on the golf-course."

Billy Graham

On the right track

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Marion Jones, Howard Books, Simon and Schuster, New York, 2010.

Marion Jones was an icon of sport winning 5 medals in the 2000 Olympics. She later lost all five medals after admitting a drug offence and went to prison for lying in court.

Her own version of events is that she did not knowingly take banned substances. She was misled by her coach. She lied in court because she did not expect the question and panicked. Of course, only she knows if that is true but I was disposed to believe her.

Marion Jones who comes across in the book is a humble person who admits she has done wrong and who had sought forgiveness. Her statement outside the Court House, included the line: “I have asked Almighty God for forgiveness”. (Page 4)

She quotes from a talk she often gives in schools: “I am the one who took a performance-enhancing drug. I’m the one who decided to lie about it because I was trying to avoid certain consequences. I was like a kid who spills juice the carpet. In an effort to cover my mess, I tried to wipe up the accident and ended up rubbing the stain in and spreading it out. As a result, I lost my reputation and I suffered public humiliation, and I eventually lost my freedom.” Page 167

She gives an explanation of why she lied: “the most obvious, simple, and honest answer is because I wanted to protect everyone around me as well as myself. I wanted to preserve all of my hard work and dedication. I wanted to secure our futures. I wanted to protect you both [her children] from the harsh realities of the world”. (Page 142)

Her account of her 6 months in prison comes across as someone who accepts her situation, who cares for fellow inmates and who struggles to cope with the unnecessarily degrading regime.

It is impossible to doubt the importance of her Christian faith. There are at least 30 references to God in the book. She reflects on her career from a Christian perspective, often applying Scripture. Her interpretation of lying is an example, “Looking back, I didn’t love myself enough to tell the truth. I thought I was hiding a lie, but really my lie was hiding me. I was too focused on what I did rather than who God created me to be”. (Page 15). Prayer clearly plays an important part of her life.

Marion Jones was a phenomenal athlete. Her 5 medals in the Sydney Olympics and 2 at the 2001 World Championships have been cancelled but her 4 World Championship medals from 1997 and 1999 still stand. She was selected for the 1992 Olympics as a 16 year old but decided not to go. Injury kept her out of the 1996 Olympics. She “won” five medals in the 2000 Olympics and competed in 2004 but failed to get on the podium. That her fastest ever 100 metre time was pre-drugs, begs the question – whether she could have won without them.

Marion Jones was a great athlete, who messed up but seems to have honestly confronted her misdeeds. The story of how it happened and where she found the strength is a compelling read.



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