Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky: Christian Rio 2016 gold medal Olympians on prayer
Simone Arianne Biles, the Christian gymnast who carries a rosary in her bag, snatched her first Olympic gold win Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro and sets out to win more.
The 19-year-old most decorated American female gymnast in World Championship history just added her 10th gold medal and 14th overall medals when she competed in the gymnastics team event for Rio 2016. She's expected to grab more golds in the upcoming Olympic events.
Before she set out for the summer Olympics, the young gymnast star divulged the contents of her bag with US Weekly, which revealed a rosary among her items.
"My mum, Nellie, got me a rosary at church," Biles told the magazine. "I don't use it to pray before a competition. I'll just pray normally to myself, but it's there just in case."
Biles grew up with her adoptive Christian grandparents, Ron and Nellie, who instilled the Christian faith in the young athlete and her siblings' lives. Biles considers Sunday as her free non-training day, which she spends by attending church at St. James the Apostle Catholic Church in Spring, Texas, having dinner with her family and watching Netflix.
Father Charles Semperi, a pastor at St. James the Apostle, described the Biles family as "very faithful Catholics who are always at Mass" and that the gymnast "was very good in Confirmation class." He added that he also gave her a St. Sebastian medal.
"I told her not to wear it during her events," the priest told LifeSiteNews and joked, "in case it flies up in her face."
Swimmer Katie Ledecky, another exceptional 19-year-old athlete representing the U.S. for this summer Olympics, also revealed bringing her Christian faith at her races.
"I do say a prayer – or two – before any race. The Hail Mary is a beautiful prayer and I find that it calms me," she told Catholic Standard in an email interview.
Rio 2016 already awarded Ledecky three gold medals for the 400-, 200- and 4x200-meter freestyle races and one silver medal for the 4x100 meter freestyle.