About a year ago, my life changed forever.
At the time, I was a college track and field athlete at the University of Memphis and an aspiring public motivational speaker.
I used social media to share my athletic journey — how I was breaking barriers and inspiring young female athletes.
But something shifted.
Today, my content looks completely different.
I rarely post about athletics anymore.
Instead, I use my platform to talk about my faith and relationship with God — because that matters most to me now.
Sharing my faith has become my calling.
And I hope to inspire others to do the same.
A Life-Changing Trip
Everything changed on July 29th.
I was invited to Philadelphia to record a podcast for MascotYou AI.
They wanted to highlight my story — the girl who’d transferred four times and still kept pushing.
While there, I met Isaiah Jacobs, a football player at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Meeting him changed everything.
He asked me deep questions about myself — questions that made me vulnerable.
At the time, I was in a really dark place, pretending to be confident and fulfilled online, but struggling privately with insecurity and unhappiness.
Isaiah shared the true gospel of Jesus Christ with me.
He told me he’d had a prophetic dream about a woman who needed to be saved — and he believed that woman was me.
I broke down.
I asked him so many questions.
I genuinely felt like he was an angel sent by God to help pull me out of the darkness I was in.
After that trip, I started sacrificing things I thought I wanted.
I gave them up to the Lord.
I began learning who God is and what He truly wants for my life.
And that’s when everything started to change.
A New Mission
As I grew in my faith, I knew I couldn’t keep it to myself.
God blessed me with a platform of nearly 30,000 followers, and I felt called to use it — not to show perfection, but to show the real, raw journey of giving your life to Jesus.
For years, I saw Christians online presenting their lives as flawless, and I felt judged by it.
That’s what kept me from really embracing the faith for so long.
Now, I want to be the opposite of that.
I want to show the ups and downs.
The struggles.
The breakthroughs.
The vulnerability of being a Christian and choosing to walk with Jesus every day.
But it hasn’t been easy.
I’ve received backlash and judgment. I’ve heard things like, “Look at her trying to change her life,” or “She just wants attention.”
But they got it wrong.
I’m not doing this for attention.
I’m doing this because I feel God calling me to share my walk with Him, authentically and unapologetically.
And I know I’m not alone.
I know there are people out there who need to see that being a Christian isn’t about being perfect — it’s about being real.
A New Identity
This season of surrendering my life, not just my athletic dreams, but my whole identity, has helped me understand my “why.”
I’m not just a track and field athlete trying to win medals.
While that would be amazing, that’s no longer my main goal.
My “why” is to live for Jesus — and to show others what that looks like.
As Christians, the most powerful thing we can do is live out our faith so others can see it in action.
Since walking with the Lord, I no longer find my identity in my sport.
My identity is being a disciple of Jesus — in every room I’m in, and through every opportunity I’ve been given as an athlete.
I’m still incredibly grateful for my athletic journey.
But I’ve learned that sport is not everything.
If I have a bad practice or a tough meet, it doesn’t define me.
God still has me here for a specific purpose.
I won’t let my emotions or feelings of “not being good enough” in sports determine my worth.
God tells me in scripture that I’m fearfully and wonderfully made — and that He has a specific plan for my life, if I choose to love and obey Him.
Looking Ahead
As I look ahead, I just want to grow — spiritually, emotionally, and in purpose.
There’s so much I still need to learn, but that’s the beauty of walking with the Lord.
He continues to shape me, challenge me, and purify my heart.
I pray that the people around me — my teammates, my coaches, anyone I encounter — don’t just see me.
I pray they see the Holy Spirit within me.
My dream is to go into ministry.
I don’t know exactly what that looks like, but I trust God with the details.
I still have aspirations of being a public speaker.
But now I know I can’t speak to people without speaking about God — because He’s the source of everything I have to say.
To all the athletes out there: use your voice.
Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe in.
I used to be scared of judgment.
I used to worry about what people would think.
But God calls us to be bold in our faith.
If Jesus has changed your life, testify.
Share your story.
You never know how many lives you might impact just by being honest about what God has done for you.
Don’t let anyone convince you to stay quiet.
That only satisfies the enemy.
Stand bold.
Be real.
Be raw.
Be unashamed.
That’s what I’ll keep doing — one post at a time.
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📷 Riley Simmons and Memphis Athletics
