Gold Medals Were Hard

GOLD MEDALS WERE HARD to come by for the United States at the 2002 Mountain Bike World Championships. In a winner-gets-all-the-cash format, the world’s best mountain bikers gave maximum effort to earn a little green to go along with the brown mud being kicked up by their knobby tires. Only Brian Lopes claimed gold for the United States in four-cross—an event that replaced dual slalom for the first time at the championships.

Four-cross (4X) matches four riders on a steep, short course (usually about three football fields long). The first rider to navigate the sharp turns, big jumps, and other pitfalls wins. Obviously not an event for the timid, this race requires competitors to be aggressive in order to be successful. One bump, wreck, or misstep spells defeat, as the race takes just minutes to complete.

Under sunny skies in Kaprun, Austria, the stage was set for a great showdown. Kaprun is known for two things: (1) a huge hydroelectric plant that supplies electricity to much of Europe and (2) awesome mountain-biking terrain. With perfect weather and a perfect course, Lopes rode his Fox/GT-sponsored bike to the gold. Teammate Eric Carter took bronze in the same event.

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POINT Brian Lopes’s victory in 4X juiced up the U.S. mountain biking team. His win provided the team with a lot of energy and excitement. But Lopes wasn’t the only machine creating a stir at the World Championships. The Kaprun hydroelectric facility churned out energy for all of Europe as fans were electrified by the performances of the top mountain bikers in the world.

As Christians, we’re tied into a power source that’s infinitely stronger than the Kaprun hydroelectric station—and that Source is the one who created the rivers and mountains that allowed the station to be built in the first place. We often don’t think about it, but God is the supreme Power Source.

GOAL! What energizes you? Is it winning? The thrill of victory can pump you up. But after the jolt of excitement, there’s always a letdown. With God, there is no letdown. His energy is limitless. His power is supreme. Ask God to allow you to tap into his power.