Teenage Olympic Skateboarder Shares the Gospel in American Sign Language
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A teenage athlete from Brazil used American Sign Language (ASL) to honor God and share the Gospel with the world after winning a medal for skateboarding at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the weekend, CHVN Radio reports.
A skateboarder for most of her young life, sixteen-year-old Rayssa Leal was thrilled to represent Brazil in the women’s street skateboarding category at this year’s Olympics in France. As a Christian, Leal wanted to thank God for her athletic gift but was reportedly told she could not verbally express her faith at the Olympics because France identifies as a secular country.
However, after winning the bronze medal for women’s street skateboarding on Sunday (July 28), Leal used ASL to sign the Bible verse John 14:6 which says: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'”
In a statement to CNN reporters, Leal later said: “When I was very young, I dreamed of becoming a skateboard athlete. And here I am, with a second Olympic medal from the games. Once again, thank God I won a medal. I’m very happy to be here.
On her Instagram platform, Leal added: “On top of the world. All honor and glory be to God.”
💡 Did you know? One of the best ways you can support Worthy News is by simply leaving a comment and sharing this article.
📢 Social media algorithms push content further when there’s more engagement — so every 👍 like, 💬 comment, and 🔄 share helps more people discover the truth. 🙌
Latest Worthy News
If you are interested in articles produced by Worthy News, please check out our FREE sydication service available to churches or online Christian ministries. To find out more, visit Worthy Plugins.