Olympics
Armenio Anjos, from Portugal, has had the privilege of going to 3 Olympic Games as a chaplain. Below is a snapshot of his experience at the Olympic Games and a look at the impact that a chaplain can have at the Games.
There are so many stories to tell surrounding the biggest of all sports events- it is impossible to tell them all. There is one story that I would like to share, as it is very personal and directly related to my involvement in sports ministry. For many years, I was an average athlete with my dreams set on the Olympic Games. A distant dream, probably impossible, but it was a dream. I remember one night, after the National Championships, my teammates and I promised each other we’d do everything we could to be in the Olympic Games one day. I continued to run for many years, but with all that goes on in one’s life, the dream stopped being real… or at least that’s what I thought.
My life took other directions and just when I began to think that the Olympics were an impossible dream, God gave me back that dream in another form. In 1974 after the 1.500m in the National Stadium, I dreamed of the Olympic Games. The following summer I was challenged to get involved in a different race, the race of life. In August of that year, I heard about Jesus Christ in a way that I had never thought of before. I understood that He is truly who He says He is. It was an encounter with an extraordinary person that changed the direction of my life. There is no one like Jesus! He is unique in everything! In Scripture, there is a verse that says "Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalms 37:4. Without realizing it at the time, this was exactly what I did without expecting anything in return.
In 1988, I received an invitation to travel to Seoul, South Korea to be part of a conference just prior to the Olympic Games. By this time, I had practically forgotten about my dream of the Olympics back in '74. I certainly wasn’t going to participate in any Olympic event, but I did learn how to take the message of Christ to the many athletes that dream of the biggest of events and the gold medal.
I’m writing this story because in 1988, God transformed one of my dreams into reality. In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, I had the privilege to be part of this great event as one of the “International Sports Chaplains”. In 2004, Athens, God blessed me with this opportunity once again. Some may think that this was a mere coincidence, but I have well engraved in my memory the faithfulness of God. "Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart."
In 2008 I was also present at the Beijing Olympic Games. No international chaplains were invited. Only Chinese were accepted as chaplains. Because of the friendships developed through the years and the importance that some of the athletes gave to our work, I was able to be invited to the Olympic Village almost every day to help them be fully prepared to face the competition of their lives. There were days that I had the chance to talk to so many athletes, coaches and various national Olympic delegates that I even forgot to eat! I had an amazing time and unique experience there!
Arménio Anjos
World Championships
Armenio Anjos has been invited to be a chaplain at other world champion events. Below is look at his involvement in these events and the impact that chaplains can have on an athlete’s life at a world champion event.
I was invited to be a sports chaplain for a world event for the first time in 1999 Seville Spain. It was a unique opportunity to find my old coach, Julio Cirino, the current national coach of discus throw. This was the first time that IAAF had a Portuguese person involved as a spiritual element in the World Championships of Athletics. Teresa Machado, one of a kind in her field of discus and shot put, was very instrumental in helping me develop a good relationship with other athletes.
In Edmonton Canada, 2001, my experience was extremely interesting. Because, by this time, I had acquired the trust and respect of the athletes and their coaches, my work was much easier. Open and honest conversations with some of the athletes allowed them to face their competitions with better determination and ease. It was in these championships that I met Edivaldo Monteiro, 400m Hurdle’s athlete, and I discovered that his faith in Christ was very practical and visible in and out of the stadium. He is without a doubt an example to follow.
In Helsinki Finland, 2005, I was able to see the results of previous efforts. One Christian athlete, whose name I will keep anonymous, had the enormous will to win a medal (after all, that’s what they all want and work for), but the medal always seemed to slip through her grasp. We had a number of Bible studies together and I realized that there was something holding her back and not allowing her to run at her best level. The coaches had prepared her physically and mentally, but when it came to her spiritual life she needed to put the burdens aside that she had carried to her athletic performance. We talked and prayed about it and when we finished I had the feeling that she not only was going to get a medal, but a gold medal. I commented on this with a friend and we both waited in hopes of what was about to happen. Towards the end of her race she took off like the wind and left all of the other athletes behind. Her dream became a reality, not only because she trained adequately, but because she placed everything that held her back freely into the care of Jesus. At the end of the race, while being interviewed by Sky Sports, she didn’t forget to mention that her life is tridimensional (body, mind and spirit) and that Christ made the difference in that race. Her gold medal was worth more than gold.
Arménio Anjos
European Championships
The European Championships in Athletics takes place every 4 years. Armenio Anjos has been able to take part as a chaplain. Below is a look at his involvement in the European Championships and the impact that chaplains can have on an athlete’s life.
In Munich, 2002, I was present with two other colleagues, serving as a chaplain to the athletes and their delegations. This type of work is continuous and the dynamics are closely related to many other main events like the Olympic Games or the World Championships in Athletics. It is a period of constant alertness. If an opportunity arises to help the coaches, leaders and especially the athletes reach their goals, then we have to be ready so that the opportunity does not pass us by. It is a time to meet new people, make new contacts, and most importantly to show that a spiritual component is extremely important to the balance of the human being, and especially to those who will be competing. It is always good to put athletes from different countries in contact with each other. Many of them end up realizing that they face the same dilemmas and many times the same problems. Often they come to the realization that their faith is something that binds them together and allows them to make new friendships. It is a time to share successes and failures, and to give a voice to their dreams. It is also a time where they can talk about Jesus Christ as a real person and alive in their life.
In Gutenberg, 2006, I was able to experience once again that Christianity is still present in Europe and that it still has much to offer the competing countries in the Athletics Championships. My role was to show with my life that Jesus Christ is alive and that He can make a difference on a continent that has forgotten about God over the years.
Arménio Anjos
