Sharing the Olympic Gold

Two years ago, going for the gold again was the furthest thing from Sheila Taormina's mind. Out of shape, she hadn't returned to the pool where she had won her first gold medal, let alone consider the triathlon.

But in Sydney, Australia, she will be swimming, biking, and running in one of the most rigorous events in the Olympics. To hear Taormina tell it, her faith helped lead her back to competition.

At the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, Taormina won a gold medal by swimming the third leg on the 800-meter freestyle relay team that included Jenny Thompson, Christina Teuscher, and Trina Jackson. The foursome set a U.S. record in the event.

"I got a gold medal," she says. "I had done the Olympics. I thought I was moving on."

"I firmly believe that our lives are God's gift to us. What we do with our lives is our gift to God."

But in traveling around the country after the Atlanta Games, Taormina found herself speaking to school children, business people, and Christian groups. She was surprised to find that her Olympic story enthralled audiences, regardless of age and religious upbringing.

"I firmly believe that our lives are God's gift to us," Sheila says. "What we do with our lives is our gift to God. The more I spoke to people, the more I began to wonder if I had stepped away from the Olympics too soon."

After her time on the road, Taormina returned to suburban Detroit, where she grew up. In an effort to get back into shape, she fell in with a local group of triathletes. At their urging, she competed in a local meet and finished well. Even though Taormina was intrigued with the possibility of medalling in two different events, she initially resisted the allure to compete seriously again.

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