Sometimes You Just Have to Step Forward / Guest Post by Danelle Arturet

I wouldn’t say my life has been marked by some great athletic achievement. I was an average athlete—nothing spectacular—but I have always enjoyed sports. I ran track and played basketball and volleyball. Later in life, I coached cheerleading for a season and developed a real passion for mountain biking and trail running. I eventually started running marathons and even qualified for the Boston Marathon. On my long training runs, I would often listen to Christian music and pray. However, I never really thought of those sports as a way to give glory to God. Looking back, I feel like I ran mostly for myself.

During my career as a high-school teacher and assistant principal, a student athlete approached me and asked if I would be the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) sponsor at the high school. A teacher or administrator was required to sponsor the club, and I accepted the role. I opened my classroom for Bible studies, hosted events, attended FCA retreats, and met students for “See You at the Pole” days. This was the first time I truly pondered the idea of athletes competing in a way that gives glory to Christ.

These young high school athletes—golfers, tennis players, volleyball players, cheerleaders, football players, and even band members—showed an amazing commitment not just to their sport, but also to the Lord. I was truly grateful to be part of their lives and encourage them to live out their faith in their respective sports.

Then my life took a turn when I met my husband, an active-duty Air Force member. Over the next 10 years, we moved frequently for military assignments, including an overseas station in Tokyo, Japan. Once we returned to the U.S., sports took a backseat, outside of recreational running. After a few more moves, our final military assignment landed us in Illinois.

It was there that our daughter took an interest in figure skating while we were stationed at a military base. Later, after 26 years of my husband’s active-duty service, we retired to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and found a local skating rink. Ironically, the rink had a room with an FCA logo. I thought it was neat, considering my past role as an FCA sponsor, but I didn’t think much about it until a figure skater mentioned how nice it would be to start a Bible study for skaters.

What started as a simple conversation turned into action. We gathered other figure skaters, and together, we formed an FCA on Ice huddle group, meeting once a month. Through this, we connected with Gary Steffes from Pure Encouragement Ministries. Gary shared his passion for the Lord and his vision for athletes to compete for Christ. Our huddle group participated in the Pure Encouragement 30-day Identity Challenge, with some members continuing to take part in it yearly. We also joined in the annual Prayer Day.

Through Gary, we were introduced to Dawn Harter, the former head figure skating coach at Liberty University. We held Bible studies with coaches and alumni skaters from Liberty University in Virginia and, more recently, with National and World-level figure skaters in Colorado Springs—all via Zoom. Our skaters were further inspired after attending a local camp where both Gary and Dawn shared their faith and expertise.

As I reflect on my journey—how faith and sports have intertwined—I see that it all comes down to giving our plans to God. He knows the path for our lives, even when He brings past experiences into present and future opportunities to help others grow in their walk with Him.

The FCA emblem at the rink led to a conversation, which led to a Bible study, which led to even more open doors and opportunities to build a community of competitors for Christ. It’s as if God is saying, “Come and see.” He opens doors of possibilities. There is risk, but how will we ever know what’s possible if we don’t take that step?

As Lysa Terkeurst, bestselling author, speaker, and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, wisely says, “Sometimes you just have to step forward.”