U.S. Athlete Wins Historic Hammer Throw Medal, Guided by Faith
By Movieguide® Contributor
For the first time in history, a U.S. female Olympian won a medal in the hammer throw, thanks to Annette Echikunwoke.
She couldn’t have done it if she hadn’t obeyed God’s call.
“I love hammer throwing because when I am throwing, I’m growing. I’m being challenged and stretched but in a good way. In a God way. In a way He’s called me to be,” the athlete said.
She won a silver medal on Tuesday with a distance of 75.48 meters and came in second to Canada.
“I think [this medal] could have happened three years ago, but I’m happy it’s happening now,” the 28-year-old said. “I feel like everything happens for a reason, even if it’s bad or good or ugly or whatever the case may be. This is beautiful…It doesn’t feel real right now. I can’t really put it into words.”
Echikunwoke is an Ohio native with Nigerian parents. Three years ago, Echikunwoke went to Tokyo to compete for Nigeria. On her birthday and before she could compete, she got bad news.
“I get a knock on my door from the throws coach for Nigeria and he tells us that we might be ineligible to compete,” she said. “… On my birthday, July 29, they officially told us that we couldn’t compete.”
“Echikunwoke and nine other Nigerian track and field athletes had been declared ineligible because the country’s athletics federation had failed to inform them of mandatory out-of-competition doping tests in the lead-up to the Olympics,” Sports Spectrum reported.
Even though none of Nigeria’s track and field athletes tested positive, none were allowed to compete.
After this, Echikunwoke doubted whether she should continue with her athletic career.
“I was depressed, definitely, for a couple months after,” she said. “It’s not always been easy. There’s definitely days where I’m like, ‘Why am I doing this?’”
“What made it most painful was when I was talking with God, it was like, ‘God, I’m doing this because You called me to do this,” she said. “I didn’t even want to do this post-collegiately, and now this is happening.’”
However, she knew God called her to the sport, and she persevered.
“Getting to know Jesus, that’s a turning point in my life,” she said. “That’s where I’ve experienced hope, confidence, peace in my life, and that’s sustained me through the trials, through the Olympics, and through life…Jesus is always with you.”
For more inspiring sports stories, check out Sports Spectrum.
After the Tokyo incident, she switched sides and decided to represent the U.S. instead of Nigeria. She had originally chosen Nigeria in 2020 because she believed there would be less competition.
In the 2021 Olympics, Echikunwoke had to face a lot of disappointment on her birthdate. This year was a much more joy-filled occasion. She had a room full of athletes singing her Happy Birthday. In a video on her Instagram, it shows her happily shouting “Thank you, guys!” after they sang to her.
Movieguide® recently reported on another faith-filled Olympian:
Twenty-year-old wrestler Kennedy Blades, one of the youngest Olympians in the 2024 games, has a powerful message for everyone watching.
When asked what has contributed the most to helping her reach the Olympic stage, Blades had one answer: Jesus.
“I’m going to be honest, like, I’ve just gotten super close to Jesus, and I just want to tell you guys that He’s King, and He’s coming soon,” she said in a video shared by Christhlete. “So, I really believe if you guys put your heart into Jesus Christ, you guys will experience nothing but happiness and grace. He’ll help you through trials and tribulations. It’s Him! That’s the main reason why I was able to accomplish such a big thing.”
