Quote

“It is not what you do or achieve that defines you, but who you are.”
- Henri Nouwen

Real Life

Lanny and Tracy Barnes are twin sisters who grew up hunting and shooting in Durango, a small alpine city in Colorado.

Surrounded by mountains and snow, they developed a love for the outdoors that led them into biathlon. A winter sport combining cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. In biathlon, athletes ski a course and stop at set points to shoot at targets before continuing the race. Missed shots come at a cost, usually extra distance or added time.

In 2014, both sisters set their sights on qualifying for the Winter Olympics in Sochi and trained relentlessly. Tracy’s final races went well. At the last qualifying event she placed 10th, securing her spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Lanny’s season looked different. Too unwell to compete in that final race, she could only watch from the sidelines. But, based on her earlier results, she was next in line for selection - within reach of the dream, but without the final race to claim it.

In an extraordinary act of sacrifice, Tracy gave up her Olympic spot so Lanny could be selected to compete in Sochi. She genuinely believed Lanny had put together the stronger season and was skiing and shooting better. In her mind, Lanny was best placed to perform on the Olympic stage. Lanny was stunned. “This is your spot, you earned it,” she said. But Tracy wouldn’t change her mind. Later, Lanny reflected, “She can be very stubborn…I was very honoured that she thought I could do it.”

For most athletes, the Olympics is far more than another event. It represents years of early mornings, quiet sacrifice, injuries pushed through, missed holidays - a life shaped around one goal. To lay that down voluntarily is no small thing. In sport, we fight for selection, defend our place, protect our opportunity - yet Tracy released hers. Jesus says in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” For an athlete, laying down a dream can feel like laying down a life. This wasn’t generosity; it was surrender. 

Is there something you’re gripping too tightly? A starting position, a contract, recognition you’ve worked hard to earn? The Bible doesn’t condemn ambition, but it does ask whether your identity is secure enough to let go. You can only lay something down when your worth isn’t built on it. When your identity rests in God - not results or selection - surrender becomes possible. It’s not weakness; it’s trust. Tracy’s decision shows us what that looks like: choosing love over ambition because her security wasn’t tied to a single moment. True surrender isn’t just sacrifice, it’s freedom, and it reflects the heart of Christ.
 

Bible Verse

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
- John 15:13

Prayer

Lord thank you that my worth isn’t built on selection or success. Teach me to hold my dreams with open hands and make my heart secure enough to surrender. Shape me to love like You love.

Article Added: 27/3/2026  |  Author: Michaela Jameson  |   Content Editor: Shaun Baker