Olympic athlete finds unique way to share her Christian faith in Paris despite IOC ban on religious demonstrations

A 16-year-old Brazilian skateboarder competing in the Olympics used her time in the spotlight to highlight her Christian faith.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympiad, skateboarder Rayssa Leal became one of the youngest athletes ever to win a medal in competition when she took home silver in street skateboarding. She was just 13 years old at the time.

'For me it is important, I am Christian, I believe a lot in God.'

On Sunday, Leal followed up her performance in Tokyo by winning the bronze medal in the same competition in Paris.

At one point during the competition, Leal used sign language to communicate what is to her an important truth the entire world needs to hear: "Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life." You can view the video of Leal using sign language to share her Christian faith here.

Leal's decision to use her field of play to make an explicit religious message seemingly contradicts Rule 50 of the International Olympic Committee's charter, which states, "No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."

That prohibition, however, could not stop Leal.

"I did it because I do it in every competition," she later said, according to a translation of her remarks. "For me it is important, I am Christian, I believe a lot in God. There I asked for strength and sent a message to everyone, that God really is the way, the truth, and the life.

"I did it in sign language because the microphone probably wouldn’t pick up my voice, so it was the way I found to communicate with everyone. I think that’s very important," she added.

The world-famous athlete, who boasts more than 8 million followers on Instagram, even joked about receiving a warning from the IOC for apparently violating Rule 50.

"Boy, if I got a warning — I don't know yet because it hasn't reached me yet — that's it. If I get a warning, we'll find out later," she said, according to a Brazilian news outlet.

To celebrate her bronze medal, Leal posted a picture on Instagram and quoted Joshua 1:9, which says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

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