Here’s a quick quiz: Name the gold medal decathlete in the 2008 Olympics. The name escapes you? That won’t surprise Bryan Clay. Bryan can’t even tell you where he keeps his medal. His life has moved on. Most days now he’s training or at home with his family. He didn’t buy a big new house or a fancy car. Bryan says, “They ask you onto David Letterman and Jay Leno only once, and then it subsides.”
This is Howard Butt Jr. of Laity Lodge. Some world-class athletes gain renown and multimillion-dollar contracts. Bryan Clay gained even more: he won the gold medal and got wisdom in the bargain. Fame is the least important reward as we race to win … in the high calling of our daily work.
“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”— 1 Corinthians 9:25
