By Mallory Mattingly
Penn State wrestler Josh Barr immediately praised God after he won his first NCAA national title.
“I’m just grateful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and that He’s blessed me to be in this position,” Barr said, per Sports Spectrum. “Right before I walked out, I got kind of deja vu or whatever they call it. I remember being in the tunnel last year and being so grateful that I got to compete because I didn’t know last year at Big 10s if I was going to be able to wrestle at nationals.”
“And I remember that moment, and I got a lot of gratitude right before I walked out there,” the National Champion continued. “Just really thankful and grateful to be here. Grateful that the Lord has blessed me with the talents that He has, and it’s only right that I give back to Him because all this is His, and all this is going to come and go, but Jesus Christ doesn’t. So just really grateful.”
Related: Penn State WR Kyron Hudson ‘Thanks God’ for the ‘Dream That I’m Living’
Barr defeated Oklahoma State’s Cody Merrill 6-3 in the 197-pound division final over the weekend. In the first 31 seconds of the round, Barr “scored a takedown to grab a 3-0 lead. Merrill answered with an escape moments later, but Barr carried a 3-1 advantage through the first period and stayed in control of the bout,” Nittany Sports Now said.
In the second period, Merrill struck back and made the score 3-2. However, in the final period, Barr “turned the momentum decisively with a reversal at the 1:43 mark to push the lead to 5-2.”
He would then quickly close it out and win a national title.
When speaking with FloWrestling, Barr explained that he and his teammates make each other better competitors.
“I think that we’re just focused on pushing each other to be better and better every day. Super grateful for all my teammates,” the athlete said. “I think we’re just focused on being the best we can be every single day, getting better from match to match, and really grateful that I get to be in that race with a couple of my best friends.”
In that same interview, Barr talked about how his wrestling career changed when he gave his life to Christ.
“I think coming into college, my personal plan was probably 184. But when I met Jesus, it turned into Jesus’s plan for me,” he explained. “I know you guys are probably sick and tired of hearing it, but that’s the truth. When I really gave my life to Jesus and Coach Cael said he’s coming back, I said, you know what, I’m going to just try it. And I went up, and the Lord’s faithful.”
“Whether I went up and didn’t make the starting lineup or I went up and had the success I’ve had, the Lord’s faithful either way,” Barr emphasized. “So it was His plan. Back in high school, I would have told you this was probably the farthest thing from the truth. But ever since I met Jesus, it all makes sense because I see miracles happen that are way greater than this kind of stuff.”
It’s incredible to see athletes like Barr use their talents to point fans to Jesus.
Read Next: Wrestler Turned to This Verse After Third-Place Finish: ‘Seeking First the Lord’
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