'I Keep God as a Priority': US Gold Medal Swimmer Says He Has 'No Other Choice' but to Follow Jesus

Hunter Armstrong, a gold medalist on the U.S. Olympic swim team, said he has “no other choice” but to make God “a priority” in his day-to-day life.

“I keep God as a priority,” the athlete told Baptist Press. “I can’t really live without Him. I can live without swimming or being an Olympian or any of that stuff.”

Armstrong, 23, made the comments about his faith shortly after winning a gold medal during the Olympic Games in Paris, France, last week for his 46.75-second performance in the third leg of the men’s 4×100 free relay, earning him the fastest time among his American teammates.

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He also helped the U.S. win silver over the weekend in the 4×100 medley relay. This is not the Ohio State University swimmer’s first Olympics, either. During the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he won a gold medal in the 4×100 medley relay.

The gold medalist has used his platform to point people toward the Lord. In fact, he said his Christian faith is “the first thing I want people to see and know about me” — even in times when trusting in God has been difficult.

“When I’m in competition, I’ll pray, and that will last for a little bit,” Armstrong admitted to Baptist Press. “Church camp, same kind of thing. But as soon as I didn’t need [God] anymore, it would fade.”

Armstrong has been transparent about his journey, acknowledging he has had to learn to rely on God in several areas of his life, including his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, whom he wanted to marry.

“That was my first real relationship,” he told Eleven Warriors, a sports news site. “I had a proposal planned out. I was already pre-ordering the ring. I was certain that I was going to marry this girl, and I quickly watched it all crumble.”

That shocking breakup was so difficult for Armstrong, he recalled even struggling to get out of bed in the morning — a depression that led him to seek counseling and spiritual guidance.

Looking back, the swimmer told Baptist Press that pain is often the “biggest catalyst for change in life” and, at times, “God will put you in a position where you have no other choice than to turn to Him.”

Armstrong has continued to prioritize his faith since the start of the Olympic Games. He said he has been regularly attending Bible studies since being invited by fellow Team USA swimmer Carson Foster.

“I’ve overcome so much this year that I’m just happy to be here,” Armstrong reflected. “Obviously, I want to have a great performance for myself, my country, and my teammates. But if I walk away and I don’t have a single medal or a single best time, I can still walk away knowing that I represented myself well and God.”

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