Today, Dominique Dawes is a three-time Olympian and Olympic gold medalist. But back in 1996, she was a teenage girl feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. “Before the 1996 Olympic games, all of us, we were known as the Magnificent Seven being the first women’s team to win gold. And I felt, and I’m sure my other six teammates felt that as well, a great deal of pressure,” Dawes said in an April 8 interview with CNA. “It was in the Georgia dome, (with) 50,000 people watching. 3.4 billion people, I’ve been told, watching worldwide,” she said. “Prior to marching out…I broke down emotionally. It was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is too much for me. What if I make a mistake now? I’m not ready.’ And this is something I had prepared for for my whole childhood.”
Her team captain, Amanda Borden, knelt down beside her. And together, they prayed. Dawes said that moment of prayer grounded her. It reminded her that God was on her side, even in that moment of fear.
“It was good to have that reminder that I’m not alone… because he is the one that is going to strengthen me, and he is the one that’s going to strengthen us,” Dawes said. “I remember when I stood up after that prayer with Amanda, I felt free. I felt light…And we went out, marched out together and we all made history.”
God has been a big part of Dawes’ life for as long as she can remember. She was raised in the Baptist faith. Her mother was a Sunday school teacher.
“The seed that my mom planted in me really took. She sowed a seed that has been one that has kept me grounded, (and) has given me this level of discernment, as I think the spirit has protected me quite a bit in my life and has steered me away from some people and situations that maybe weren’t the healthiest for me,” she said.