I’ve won every collegiate, national and world title that you can win in my sport. Not one time did winning magically change my character, erase my problems or make me a better person in any way. When I look back at my life, the highlights aren’t standing on top of the podium. When I tell people my story, the power of it doesn’t lie in the medals. The things I’ve CHOSEN to endure and fight through... those painful and difficult times are what I’m most thankful for. Why? Because those are the things that God used to mold me, change me and equip me. Those times we pray desperately for God to take away are the very things that make us dependent on Him. So when I face those challenges now, I praise Him for it because I know He’s preparing me and readying me to face what lies ahead. This is why I can find joy in the midst of pain and heartache. “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect...