The Idea For The X Games

THE IDEA FOR THE X GAMES Global Championship in 2003 was a good one. Held simultaneously in Whistler, British Columbia, and San Antonio, Texas, the Games gave the world’s best extreme athletes the chance to compete for their country. Just one problem: Some sports—such as freestyle motocross—are totally ruled by the United States.

So when Team USA, Team Europe, and Team Asia got together for the Moto X freestyle competition, there was really no doubt that Americans Kenny Bartram and Nate Adams would take the top two spots. The only surprise was how hard these athletes battled each other. Neither wanted silver, and both pulled every trick in their arsenal.

Bartram nailed his first run to claim the initial lead. But Adams’s second run nearly made him the winner in everybody’s eyes, including Bartram’s. Adams nailed a backflip and threw in a lazyboy (where the rider comes out of the seat with only his feet hooked under the handlebars while sailing 40 feet in the air) and a look-back Hart attack for good measure. His score put him on top. Bartram didn’t think he could do better than he did in his first run—but he was wrong. By stringing together a McMetz-to-no-handed landing, a no-handed whip, no-footed nac-nac, and backflip, there was no doubt Bartram earned first.

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POINT Kenny Bartram and Nate Adams will go down in history as two of the biggest names in freestyle motocross. Many of their opponents at the X Games Global Championships were competing for the first time. After the victory, Bartram did television interviews for three countries as the world got to see the latest freestyle stunts—including the backflip. Nate and Kenny gave people in many nations a glimpse of what FMX is all about.

God wants us to follow Adams’s and Bartram’s example with our faith. We need to think globally. We tend to get caught up in our own little world and miss God’s big picture. His Word is spreading. More than two billion people call themselves Christians, but there’s still plenty of work to be done.

GOAL! You’re a light for God in a dark world. Don’t hide your faith. Think of ways you can share Jesus Christ. And don’t forget to pray for Christians around the world.