Jodi T.

I grew up in church, but after two tragic events in high school, I slowly turned away from God. I believe God knew I would not return to Him on my own no matter how dark and empty my life felt. Because of that, He placed people in my life to bring me back to Him. That path included Athletes in Action.

A track and field athlete at St. Cloud State University, I was a successful student-athlete, yet I could not shake a feeling of emptiness in my life. My sophomore year a teammate asked me to attend an AIA meeting. I was slightly interested and the interest grew when I learned a guy I had a crush on attended the meetings. I thought it was at least worth checking out.

As time passed, I no longer needed that guy to be at the meetings in order to go. It was at the meetings that I began to have an overwhelming feeling of being whole. I then started meeting with my friend Casey, who is on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ (AIA's parent organization). It was there that I first heard about having a personal relationship with Christ. I began to look at how I was living my life and how that contradicted who I wanted to be. It was a slow process, but I started making changes.

One of the greatest things that helped me change was that I moved from Minnesota to Alabama for an internship working at the University of Alabama in Athletic Academics (monitored student-athletes' academic progress and helped them manage responsibilities). My co-worker talked about a Bible study and I asked if I could go with her. Coincidentally, it was a part of AIA, and once again, the Lord put someone in my life to lead me back to the organization. That is when I met people who would challenge me in the next two years to place God at the center of my life: Jennifer W., (AIA Campus Staff), Mandy Rice (my co-worker and former women's golfer), Leah Drury (women's basketball), Kate Mastin (women's basketball) and Meredith Laxton (gymnastics). I slowly moved from being a participant with AIA to co-leading a Bible study and then leading one of my own.

I attended AIA's "Get in the Game" Recruiting Weekend in March 2006. Although being a part of AIA sounded like something I could see myself doing in the future, I felt like everyone else was telling me to become an AIA staff member. But I didn't feel the Lord leading me.

That same summer I joined AIA Track & Field on their Project USA trip to Ohio, Indianapolis and California. In Ohio and California we held track clinics for younger kids and each day someone told their personal faith story or communicated the gospel. In Indianapolis, we held chapels at the USA Track & Field Championships for athletes, coaches and fans. It was awesome to share not only my love for the sport, but my love for the Lord with other people. I realized on this trip that AIA was the path the Lord was leading me down all along. I returned to Alabama and began the application process to become an AIA staff member.

Currently, I am a new staff member raising support to serve with AIA Track & Field. I am excited to see the ways in which the Lord will use me to help others know Him, just as God has used others to help me know Him.

Full names of Athletes in Action staff members have been withheld to protect those serving in religious-sensitive countries.

Each month you will be introduced to a life changed through Athletes in Action. If your life (or someone you know) has been greatly touched through your involvement with AIA, please send an e-mail to communications@aia.com.