VATICAN CITY — At a Vatican athletic event promoting the connection between faith and sports, British Olympic gold medalist sprinter Jason Gardener credited Catholic nuns for encouraging him to succeed.

He recounted his first involvement in sports at age 6 at St. John’s Catholic Primary School in Bath. There, he said, “I was given the opportunity to participate in sports days, and I remember crossing the [finish] line — trying my best and doing really well.” 

“That coincided with the Olympic Games in 1984, and I thought, ‘Wow, I want to be like that.’ And my nuns (from my school) came to see me and brought some medals and said, ‘You work really hard, and be a good boy; you may get some of these when you’re older,’” Gardener said.

Gardener ran a 100-meter track that had been set up along the street leading to St. Peter’s Square on Sunday morning.

The British athlete had been invited to participate in the “100 Meters of Racing in the Faith” sponsored by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture. He won a gold medal for the 4x100 meter relay in the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics.

The Vatican event was part of a festival day for sports intended to “to recover the educational, cultural and spiritual values of sport,” the pontifical council stated.

Gardener said the festival is “a very special occasion and event.”

He addressed the crowds in St. Peter’s Square, telling them that sports have “the power to change lives, whatever your ability.” Sports provide “values and life skills … the ability to enjoy yourself, have healthy lifestyles, learn how to win and sometimes lose. But, of course, it’s about a lifelong journey of being a good person and having good values.”

The athlete told CNA he had a “good foundation” and was brought up in a Catholic school.

“I was brought up with good values, so that’s played a huge part in my life,” he said. “I’m not outspoken, particularly, about my faith, but I’m a believer, and I’m very pleased to have had a good life, which I’ve had to this day. I’m very thankful — I’ve worked very hard, and having good morals instilled in me, behaving well as a citizen, I believe, has helped me on the journey to where I am.”

Gardener was not always so committed to his faith. “I probably didn’t get into church as often as my parents or grandparents would have liked,” he said.

“But a few years ago, I joined the John Paul II Foundation for Sport in the U.K.,” he added, “so that was very interesting, and, actually, it’s evolved from knowing some of the people who are doing great work within the U.K. and beyond.”

The John Paul II Foundation for Sport began after Pope Benedict XVI visited Britain in 2010. It seeks to promote “the building of spiritual character through excellence in sporting skills and fitness,” the foundation says on its website.

 

Special Olympics

Gardener also works with the Special Olympics, an organization dedicated to providing athletic training and competitions to individuals with intellectual disabilities. 

Many Special Olympians were present to participate at the Vatican’s sporting event.

Gardner said it was “very humbling” to work with them and with Para-Olympians, “because everyone is an athlete who works really hard, and, most importantly, everybody takes part to have fun.”

“I think sometimes as a professional sports person you lose that aspect of it, you know, when it’s your job and things aren’t going well,” he said.

“I sometimes just feel so impressed with people who have experienced so much,” the champion runner explained. He sasid there are “such stereotypes of who they are in common society, but then you bring the athletes into an arena, and they’re great athletes in their own right.”

Gardner said he was grateful that stereotypes surrounding disabled athletes are diminishing.

“They work very hard. … Seeing what’s achieved is incredible, and that’s a real powerful message to society,” he said.“I think times are changing, and people are realizing that just because you may not have all your limbs, you’re not at a disability, because athletes can do so much more than the regular person on the streets.”