FocusOnTheFamily

Counselling Olympic athletes

Written by Catherine Wilson

Given that it’s Tuesday afternoon, in the second week of the Winter Olympics, I did not expect Reverend David Wells, the official head of multi-faith chaplaincy services for the Games, to be available for an interview.

But Reverend Wells clearly places a high priority on making himself available to others. Despite the demands of his regular duties as General Superintendent of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada and his added responsibilities as Games chaplain, he set aside time to discuss his role, and how the faith community in Vancouver is supporting athletes and visitors to the Games.

Reverend Wells, is this the first time you have served as a chaplain at an international sports event?
Reverend Wells: I played a chaplaincy role in the Turin Winter Games in 2006 and the Summer Olympics in Athens, and I also had an informal chaplaincy role in Beijing. Before that, I was involved with the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, Victoria and Manchester. But this is the first time I have been the overall coordinator.

Now that the Winter Olympics are underway, what does a typical day look like for you?
RW: From the start, the [International Olympic Committee] has been very supportive of having multi-faith centres for the athletes – they genuinely see the worth of addressing the spiritual well-being of the athletes. So I’m dividing my time between the multi-faith centre in the athletes’ village in Vancouver and the one in Whistler. I’m overseeing the volunteers from other faiths – Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim – and coordinating the Christian chaplaincy as well. Our priority is the athletes and team officials, but there are also many volunteers in the villages and they are a focus of our interest and care, for sure.

All our volunteer teams are doing their part. Some are conducting services in the athletes’ villages; some are providing one-on-one counselling and care; some are hosting Bible study groups. Last night in Whistler we had over 20 people meeting together for a Christian celebration with Kathy Kreiner-Phillips, who is one of our chaplains and a former Olympic gold medalist for Canada in giant slalom.

You’re also on the board of directors for More than Gold, an initiative that has mobilized hundreds of Christian volunteers to offer “sidewalk hospitality” and is hosting numerous worship and outreach events during the Games. Are you still involved in that initiative now?
RW: At the beginning when the Games were announced, mine was very much a two-pronged involvement. First, I worked with the Christian community to look at what we could do together to participate in this season of the Olympics, and this work evolved into the board for More Than Gold. Then, as we moved toward the Games, my larger responsibility became overseeing the multi-faith centres.

Some Christians seem uncertain about embracing an event like the Olympics, for fear of appearing to celebrate humanist values. Can you offer a different point of view?
RW: When God allowed His people to be taken as captives to Babylon, He told them they would be there for quite a while, and that they should seek the peace and prosperity of the city and be engaged and involved there. That didn’t necessarily mean that Babylon at the time was an ideal state or that its values were perfect, but He told them to be “at the table.” So I’m at peace with that. We’re in Canada today and, as Christians, we need to be at the table. We need to have our rightful input and place. And generally we are appreciated and well-received when we show up.

Secondly, my view of Christ sees Jesus as full of grace and truth and being involved “in the neighbourhood,” as expressed in John 1:14. And that doesn’t mean that you’re enamoured with those who have reputation or funds; it means that, as God desires, we impartially engage people of all cultures and at all levels.

Have some of the athletes sought you out for personal consultations?
RW: Yes, I have had some very meaningful conversations already. But because I’m organizing the team at a macro level, I haven’t had as many conversations as other members of the team. But a number of those conversations are certainly going on. I’ve also heard reports from the More Than Gold volunteers and I know their work has been quite fruitful.

What are some common themes in your discussions with athletes?
RW:The extreme focus and dedication that allows these athletes to achieve so much can sometimes become a source of great disappointment when they don’t reach their goals. And that’s part of why we are here – to assist them to respond to disappointments.

We also have quite a number of “what next?” conversations. We can act as an objective person – a sounding board – as athletes consider the timeline of their lives and careers and what might be next for them. And you can have those kinds of conversations with those who do really well, as well as with those who may be disappointed with their results. At the end of the Olympics, even those who go on to further competitions are thinking about transitions.

One of the wonderful stories that has emerged from the Games is the close friendship between Alexandre Bilodeau and his brother Frédéric, and the power of a family to strengthen one another.
RW: Yes! This value is so deeply rooted in us. Especially as Christians, we believe God placed us in families very deliberately. Your family has always been intended by God to be this place of belonging, of acceptance, of honouring who you are, and who you are in Christ – in your highs and your lows. So whether you are in business, in the political world, in ministry or sports, your family can play a huge role in bringing wholeness and perspective back into your life and saying, “Hey, you’re ours. We love you and we’re so proud of you. We’re cheering you on. We are going to be there two years from now, five years from now, ten years from now – no matter what.”

Your family also helps to root you in what really matters. No matter how many accomplishments you may stack up in life, you will still be known best as “Dad” or “Mom” to someone. And ten years from now, those folks will still be in your life. So the bigger issue becomes, “What am I doing to honour them, even amidst all that I’m involved in?”

How can our readers pray for your teams in the days ahead?
RW: After the extensive work of planning, and then becoming engaged in the actual event, you need another burst of strength from the Lord to finish strong. We have just over a week after these Games close to re-engage and provide the same service for the Paralympics. And those folks deserve the best, most energetic service, so we would welcome prayer that the returning and incoming chaplains would have strength to serve well.

For more information on More Than Gold, visit Morethangold.ca.*

* Referrals to websites not produced by Focus on the Family Canada are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.

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