Greater riches than Gold Catriona Le May Doan's faith in God, has changed her perspective on skating -- and life. by John Hillman   Relieved, and thankful to have won, Saskatoon's Catriona Le May Doan, considered Canada's best hope for a gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics, modestly acknowledged her 500-metre speed skating victory.   "The race definitely wasn't great, but it was enough," she stated afterward. "I knew with about 50 metres to go that it was enough. I felt the most emotional in the last 10 metres because I knew then that I won."   Chosen as Canada's flag bearer for the opening ceremonies at Salt Lake, Le May Doan said that she felt at peace and at ease with whatever transpired on the ice.   "I think I have the proper perspective, with my husband and family, and being a Christian athlete," she explained. "That helps. If I win a medal, or I don't win one, it doesn't make a difference to who I am. It's not like I'm a medalist so I must be a good person. You don't become what you win."   Le May Doan, 31, didn't always rate Christianity so highly because she viewed it as a religion rather than a personal relationship with God. Plus, in her early speed skating career she rarely focused on anything but improving her times and conditioning her body.   "I was very stubborn," she admits, about accepting Christ as her Saviour. "I had to figure things out on my own. Fortunately, I started dating Bart (Le May Doan's future husband) and he was a strong Christian."   As is often the case with many people, hardship caused her to take a more serious look at her relationship with God.   Le May Doan's Olympic aspirations hit rock bottom at the 1994 Lillehammer games. Hopeful of a silver or bronze medal, she caught an edge and went sprawling across the ice. The mishap directed her into a deep depression.   "I often thought I had everything figured out, and it would be great," Cat, as her close friends know her, says, "but then it seemed I would be struggling and didn't know why."   The current Olympic record holder found the answer by dialing the telephone. Shortly after her fall, she spied a sign for a ministry called Athletes in Action (AIA) listing a number to call.   "I don't know now why I called," she says. "I guess I thought, 'I'm an athlete,' and I thought it applied to me."   AIA staff member Harold Cooper took Le May Doan under his wing and taught her the basics of the Christian faith. Although somewhat reluctant, the speed skater slowly realized she needed Jesus in her life and opened her heart to accept His love.   "He (Cooper) asked me if I wanted to become a Christian, and I was like, 'Well, maybe I will talk this over with Bart first,' " she says. "I was trying to postpone it. A few weeks later, though, I decided it was the choice I wanted to make."   While committing her life to Christ didn't set off any bells and whistles for her, gradually the pieces of her life came together. She married Bart in 1996 and he became her encourager and confidant. The part-time rodeo cowboy, who also drove the Zamboni at the rink where his wife trained, often spotted minor flaws in her skating technique, overlooked by her coaches.   "He doesn't know every technical aspect, but there are certain things he sees from a different view than my coach sees," Le May Doan explains.   In 1997, the newly confident skater captured five World Cup races and the overall Canadian Sprint Championship. But Le May Doan saved her best performance for Japan in the 1998 Olympic games, winning a gold medal in the 500 metres and a bronze in the 1,000.   "The Bible says everyone has a gift," stated Le May Doan after Nagano. "Mine is speed skating. From that you have something to do. When I get a medal, I get on the podium. For me that becomes a podium to speak. I wish what happened in Norway never happened, but I think I'm a better athlete now because of that fall. I'm stronger in every way."   The Canadian with the golden smile continued her successful reign on the ice over the next four years with 23 victories and set a world record of 37.22 in the 500 metres.   Le May Doan will hang up her skates after one more year of competition. She and her husband plan to start a family and perhaps open a bed and breakfast retreat.   She also plans to concentrate on motivational and inspirational speaking. Because she openly embraces Christ, the two-time Olympic gold medalist desires to share His love when she speaks to others.   "Most people know about my faith," Le May Doan states. "I speak to lots of churches, but I also have opportunities to talk about goals and perspectives to groups that are not openly Christian. That opens a number of doors for me to share my faith."   "It's really funny because you dream about winning an Olympic medal for so long that when it actually happens, nothing's different," explains Le May Doan.   "It's really a good thing that you don't change and become a different person. What winning means most is that now you have opportunities to go places and meet people and share something of yourself." [LLN-Online] [Adopt-a-Block] [Newsbriefs][Event Calendar] [Lifestyles] [Juke Box] [Cover to Cover] [Movieguide][Casting the Net] [Viewpoints] [General Info] [Rates & Sizes][Marketplace/Classifieds] [Volunteer Ops] [Writing Guidelines] [Contact Us] [Subscribe][Archives][Good News] [About Us][Links]