Franklin Graham praises Rio Olympic swimmer Maya DiRado for faith-based 'winning attitude that goes beyond swimming'

Evangelical leader Franklin Graham has offered praise for Olympic swimming gold medalist Madeline Jane "Maya" DiRado, who cared more about God than winning races.

The 23-year-old competitive swimmer touched the wall first in Friday's 200-meter backstroke event at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She beat the Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszú, who snatched the first placed and set a world record for the 400-meter individual medley event, where DiRado came in second.

"This young woman's winning attitude goes far beyond swimming," wrote Graham on Facebook the day after DiRado's unexpected gold win.

He quoted DiRado as saying, "I don't think God really cares about my swimming very much. This is not my end purpose, to make the Olympic team. I think God cares about my soul and whether I'm bringing his love and mercy into the world."

The young swimmer apparently inspired the 64-year-old president of the Samaritan's Purse and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to remind people of what's even bigger than Olympics.

"God loves you–He cares about your eternal soul. That's even bigger news than the Olympics," said Graham.

The Stanford graduate, who already announced to retire from swimming after this summer Olympics in order to pursue her consulting career, attends The River Church Community in the San Francisco Bay Area together with husband, Rob Andrews, and parents, Marit and Ruben.

DiRado credited her parents for instilling her Christian faith and claimed that "Jesus has been a constant" in her life.

She said that her quiet confidence stems from the thought that God loves her no matter she does and that this emboldens her to create her own path in life.

"Jesus' love for me and all humanity is something that always helps me better love people around me when things get difficult," DiRado told ChristianityToday.

She also shared that her faith revealed to her how there are many more important things in life than her swimming career, which she considered a "pretty selfish activity."

DiRado also won gold in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay and bronze in the 200-meter individual medley event.