{"id":557,"date":"2011-06-24T08:00:21","date_gmt":"2011-06-24T12:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/inspiringathletes\/?p=557"},"modified":"2011-06-21T23:37:57","modified_gmt":"2011-06-22T03:37:57","slug":"los-angeles-angels-outfielder-torii-hunter-on-how-faith-guides-his-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/06\/los-angeles-angels-outfielder-torii-hunter-on-how-faith-guides-his-life.html","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Angels outfielder Torii Hunter on how his faith helps him set a good example"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hit “Like” to share with your friends!<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>FRIDAY FEATURE: Torii Hunter<\/p>\n

Often referred to as \u201cSpiderman\u201d by fans and in the media, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Torii Hunter has legitimately earned the superhero nickname for his uncanny ability to climb walls<\/a> and rob power hitters of would-be home runs. Need more proof? Look no further than his nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards and his four All-Star Game appearances.<\/p>\n

Hunter\u2019s no slouch at the plate either with over 1,000 RBI\u2019s, over 1,700 hits and 266 home runs and counting. But even more impressive is his steady faith that guides him to make positive decisions on the field inner cities and his unwavering commitment to inner cities through the Torii Hunter Project Education Initiative. Here\u2019s what Hunter had to say when asked about his core beliefs and how they impact his actions:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Torii Hunter (Photo by Jason Wise\/MLB Photos via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bonham: What circumstances led you to a relationship with Christ?<\/p>\n

Hunter: I was raised in the church by my grandmother who made sure we went to Sunday School, read the Bible and went to church every Sunday. Every night we read Bible stories before we went to bed. My mother also made sure we stayed involved in the church and the things of God. My relationship with Christ came about through that and the influences of my mother and grandmother helped my faith to grow.<\/p>\n

Bonham: How does your faith define you as an athlete?<\/p>\n

Hunter: With me being a Christian, I always think about what would Christ do in any circumstances. When I think about Christ\u2019s life on earth, He worked hard. He was a carpenter. Christ lifted up his teammates, the disciples. Christ was always victorious. Christ left it all on the field. He died on the cross. And Christ always had a passion for whatever He was doing. That\u2019s how I try to define myself as an athlete. That\u2019s the example I try to follow.<\/p>\n

Bonham: How does your faith help you deal with the highs and lows of the game?<\/p>\n

Hunter: My faith is what makes me strong. Without faith, there are only low times. With faith, I know that everything will be taken care of. Even the difficult times become learning experiences to help make my faith stronger. And when everything is going good, that\u2019s when I know God has rewarded me for my faith. When I rely on my faith, I know God wants to reward and bless me but not because of some great act that I did but because of who He is. And I have the faith that even at my lowest points, there will come a silver lining through faith.<\/p>\n

Bonham: What do you want others to learn from your example?<\/p>\n

Hunter: I want them to know that I try to walk like Christ in my life. If I strike out, I don\u2019t curse, or throw my bat or hit things back in the dugout, I try to quietly just put my helmet back. I may be very upset but I try to control myself. Whether I\u2019m down or whether things are great, I try to stay the same person all the time. I want my teammates to see that I\u2019m following Christ. But, I\u2019m also human, so there are times I slip and make mistakes but I know Christ forgives me.<\/p>\n

Bonham: What are some passages in the Bible that inspire you?<\/p>\n

Hunter: My favorite verse in the New Testament is John 3:16. As a Christian, that\u2019s all you need to know. But my favorite book in the Bible is always Proverbs because it\u2019s where you can find wisdom for no matter what you\u2019re going through. It hits me every time I read it. I\u2019ve always read Proverbs regularly because it helps me deal with what\u2019s happening every day in real life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hit “Like” to share with your friends! FRIDAY FEATURE: Torii Hunter Often referred to as \u201cSpiderman\u201d by fans and in the media, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Torii Hunter has legitimately earned the superhero nickname for his uncanny ability to climb walls and rob power hitters of would-be home runs. Need more proof? Look no further…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":418,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[258,257,7,259,239],"class_list":["post-557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-athletes","category-sports-features","tag-all-star-game","tag-los-angeles-angels","tag-major-league-baseball","tag-spiderman","tag-torii-hunter"],"yoast_head":"\nLos Angeles Angels outfielder Torii Hunter on how his faith helps him set a good example - Inspiring Athletes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/06\/los-angeles-angels-outfielder-torii-hunter-on-how-faith-guides-his-life.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Los Angeles Angels outfielder Torii Hunter on how his faith helps him set a good example - Inspiring Athletes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Hit “Like” to share with your friends! 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Chad is currently working on five new books including Sooner Legacy, Husker Legacy and Lessons From Sooner Football (Cross Training) as well as The Faith of Stock Car Racing (Judson Press). When he's not writing, Chad lends his efforts to various independent television and film projects. He was the coordinating producer for Choosing Life (2010) and Life Happens (2011). Chad is currently serving as producer on a forthcoming documentary about Super Bowl champion Brian Kinchen. 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