David Boudia: God Made Me Free

“In 2008 if you would have asked me to sit down with The 700 Club, I would have been like are you serious? No way! You can keep your Jesus and do with Him what you want but I’m over here and I’m doing my thing for myself,” said David Boudia.

“It’s crazy how God can take a person, lay them flat on their face and let them know that you’re not the ruler of your life.”

“Just looking back when I had this dream of wanting to be an Olympian and that pursuit towards that goal, I tried to fill that with all I could because ultimately I thought this would bring me happiness and joy.  It was all for David’s glory. All for what David wanted and I didn’t worship anyone else beside myself.  Everything I thought of, everything I pursued was for my own gain.”  

2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS  

“My first Olympic games, I realized it wasn’t working, something, there had to be something besides this popularity, this pleasure, this desire that I had to be rich and famous, this American dream promised me, there had to be something more than that.  And I didn’t know where to find that,” said David.

BUT, DAVID MET JESUS AND. . .

“God changed my heart and it was no longer look at me I’m the best. Trying to be a visible representation of an invisible God, that’s not the David of 2008.  God has redeemed me and I’ve taken control of my life to do that for Him on a platform that I never thought I’d be at.”

2012 OLYMPIC DIVER RETURNS WITH NEW MINDSET

David said, “The London Games was not a story I would have written whatsoever. Going into the finals I was the most nervous I’ve ever been in a competition since I was 14 years old. And I spoke to a good friend of mine and he said David what is there to be nervous about?  Okay, what are you getting at? God has already written it, it’s already done.  What you get to do, what your opportunity is to be a vehicle for His glory.  And so instantly the weight was off my shoulders.”

“I just think of Philippians 4:6 that talks about being anxious for nothing but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests known to God. And that was totally my perspective that next ay when I woke up was that.”

WHO WILL BRING HOME THE GOLD

“My six dives in those finals I was thinking about two things.  I had one cue, one thing to think about was my take off to make it strong and the other was something my coach Adam Soldani and I kind of made up years before the Olympics and it was 4:6 back to the Philippians 4:6 that’s be anxious about nothing.”

David said, “I knew I put down six dives the best I’ve ever done in a competition and I got out of the water and I didn’t care where I was finishing whether I was first or fifth, I was content and happy because I knew I did my best.”

“I walked over to Adam and he embraced me and I looked up and my name was first, one Chinese diver still had to go – he hit the water my name didn’t change and I still couldn’t fathom, so my name’s first and there’s no divers left, that means I won? And it’s still a surreal moment to thing back at that moment.”

“Three months after the Olympics in 2012, I got married to my wife, Sonny, and then two years after that we had our first child, Dakota.  And so I get to be dad, I get to be David, the husband, and it’s a totally different thing, God has grown me so much in my communication with my wife. The first year after the Olympics it was atrocious just me trying to communicate and navigate marriage and He’s grown me in that so much. And then ultimately trying to raise a little girl who fears the Lord,” said David.

THE ROAD TO RIO

“The road to Rio and leading up to that I think God has changed me most really wanting me to be responsible and pursue excellence.  Romans 8:28 says God works everything for the good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  And that purpose isn’t for my happiness or my joy, that purpose so that I become more like Christ daily.”