Last week, former BYU track star Kenneth Rooks pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the entire Paris Olympics, winning the silver medal in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase after being considered a longshot.
On Sunday, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shared on social media that he had a phone conversation with Rooks after Rooks won the medal.
Elder Holland’s post said Rooks’ “inspired steeplechase performance in Paris won him a medal and captured the admiration of millions of people around the world.”
The post congratulated Rooks and all of the athletes “who remind us of what is possible when we give our all to something.”
It then returned to Rooks and said, “Kenneth, like so many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, does extraordinary things in life both in and out of the spotlight.”
Then the post went to the challenges people in general face on a daily basis.
“My mind turns to the ‘races’ that all of us run — those daily challenges and experiences that help us grow as children of God as we strive to be more like His Son Jesus Christ. It may not feel as if it comes with a medal or trophy, but we know that the prize is real.
“It is what Christ conveyed at the conclusion of the Crucifixion when he said, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30). ‘Into thy hands I commend my spirit.’”
Rooks, 24, said after his stunning performance that “it feels like a dream,” and he told the Church News’ Trent Toone that Alma 26 in the Book of Mormon gave him inspiration before the race.
“That didn’t necessarily mean that I was going to win,” Rooks said. “But I knew I could access His power if I put my trust in Him. The strength of the Lord is a real thing.”