It is no secret that I love the Olympics. I love them so much, I’m using a week of PTO to watch as much as possible. I woke up at 5:40 am to see events live so that nothing was spoiled. I watch the sports with as much vigor as some play them. This is my role 🙂
But I was struck by the importance of playing one’s role well watching the men’s gymnastics team final yesterday. The USA team has 5 guys, 5 different backgrounds, 5 unique personalities, 5 roles… all crucial.
We have Asher Hong, the ultimate hype man. A powerful dynamo, who tries some of the toughest moves in gymnastics and is at risk of dislocating his shoulder with his powerful arm pumping celebration moves after a stuck landing. The world needs Ashers to be fearless, loud, and encouraging.
Then there’s Paul Juda who squeaked in to the team at trials because of his consistency and hard work. He is grateful, consistent, steady, and the best lead off gymnast a team could ask for. His ability to show emotion and delight at even having the chance to be here and then “flying high and sticking the landing” is huge. We need Pauls to be grounded, consistent, and show us the power of gratitude.
We have Frederick Richard the social media mogul who uses his platform to bring attention to men’s gymnastics, show the world that it can be both hard work and fun, and a welcoming place for athletes of color. Fred is the one who declared that the men’s team would bring home hardware this year. He is a visionary who challenges himself to constantly do more. He is never satisfied and courageously raises his difficulty level — even sometimes mid-routine (*ahem* high bar Liukin… I see you). He is inclusive and excitable and can get the crowd on his side better than anyone else. He is confident, even cocky, but has the skills to back up the talk. We need Fredericks to bring us together, show us the vision of what could be, and make us believe our dreams are possible through hard work and dedication.
Our team captain, Brody Malone, is stoic, focused, and driven. Brody was at the top of his gymnastics game when he experienced what should have been a career-ending injury in 2023 when he tore everything in his knee and had to learn to walk again, and yet, against all odds returned to the sport and made the Olympic team. Brody had some set backs even at qualifications two days ago when he had uncharacteristic falls and mistakes. He once again had to defy the odds and make a come back. Brody is a man of deep faith and he never calls attention to himself, the credit and spotlight is always given away. We need Brodys who are humble, selfless, driven, faithful, and have the grit to overcome the odds.
And last we have Stephen Nedoroscik – the pommel horse guy. The guy chosen to do precisely one event. Stephen has devoted his career to perfecting an apparatus which gives many trouble, and one on which many other members of Team USA have struggled. Stephen had to wait through two and a half hours of competition until he got his moment. He had to wait through 17 Team USA routines to do his one. But he did not waste his waiting. He cheered, he supported, he brought supplies and water, he kept his teammates going through five other events. After taking some time to warm up his cold muscles (from sitting for 2 hours!) Stephen leaned his head against the wall to visualize his routine and take some time to meditate. He was in the zone and the other guys left him alone at this time. He may have looked asleep, but he was far from it, he was preparing for his Clark Kent moment.
My favorite moment was the small smirk on his face after Brody hit his pommel horse routine when he knew a medal was within his power. And his power alone. He was the last to go. On his only event.
Stephen Nedoroscik trained for years and traveled to Paris for this precise 90 seconds.
The glasses came off, the focus turned on. Clark Kent became Superman and his efforts secured the bronze medal. The world needs Stephens who don’t waste their waiting time and then do their one thing with delight and precision for the good of the whole team.
What delighted me the most was the celebration after his routine, when four guys lifted Stephen up into the air knowing that his routine clinched the first medal in 16 years. They celebrated together. They all needed each other’s skill to succeed. They needed the hype, the consistency, the courage, the grit, and the singular focus of Asher, Paul, Fredrick, Brody, and Stephen.
This reminds me of a passage in I Corinthians 12:12-25
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
All the members of Team USA men’s artistic gymnastics were not the same. There were many members, but one team. They did not have the same skills or gifts (or D scores). But none were indispensable. All were necessary to have this result. And what has delighted my heart is the Internet’s reaction to Stephen particularly. It has welcomed him with memes and tweets and delight at his quirkiness and skill which came at just the right time. The members we could be tempted to think are indispensable are worthy of greater honor.
Be the hype man, the one who shows up when it counts the most, the visionary, the comeback kid, or the one event wonder. Each is a superpower its own right. Find out what your role is, even if you think your role is less important, less flashy, or less worthy of praise. Our only task is to find out what our role is supposed to be and to play it to the best of our ability. Play your role well, the team needs you.
Fantastic picture of what happened at the men’s team competition. It was delightful indeed, for every team member. So happy for all of them!
You nailed that analogy. Fascinating!
And I thought it was all about the women!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the relevant reminders from scripture!
Thank you for all the details of the US team! Well written my friend! Excellent example of of the Body of Christ working together!