Christine Bowmaker (née Bloomfield) has spent a lifetime in athletics – as athlete, coach, mentor and minister. ‘At present I am a coach and mentor to some athletes, just encouraging them really. Making sure that there is someone there to listen to them, shoulder to cry on and to motivate them. I feel there are many facets to what I do – to some I am a coach, to others a mum, to others a motivator or a friendly face, it makes them calm in a stressful situation.’

Jeremiah 29:11 is a favourite Scripture of Christine Bowmaker the UK sprinter. It reads, ‘“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.’ Christine explains its significance to her: ‘All through my life there have been so many incidents that to some people would be coincidences but I know that God has been with me every step of the way. I have had some hard times but God has used them to mould me to be the person I am. I have a great sense that God has always been in control. No matter what has happened God has been there.’

In 2000 she faced circumstances, which might have made her question whether God really was in control. After an excellent 1999, which included a world championship relay final, she was confident of selection for the Olympics. It didn’t quite work out. ‘Basically I got chicken pox five weeks before the Olympic trials. I ran the trials came sixth and fifth and I thought I’d be going to the Olympics even just in the relay. They didn’t select me. I was distraught. God had an amazing sense of humour. I had prayed that I would go to Sydney. Even though I did not go to compete I was invited to go and work for a Christian radio project in Sydney.’

Christine traces her Christian faith back to a challenging question when she was 11. She was asked, ‘If you died what would you do, where would you go? Heaven or hell?’ ‘I thought gosh, I would go to hell so I decided then at the age of 11 that I wanted to become a Christian.’

As she grew up her faith strengthened and her talent blossomed. She has no doubt that running is part of God’s plan for her life. ‘God made me the person that I am and he gave me the ability to run. I think it is a gift God has given me. It’s a talent I want to use to honour him. In my athletics I don’t just pray that God will help me to run fast. I pray that I will have an influence on people’s lives.

She has also developed a unique way of offering encouragement to athletes by giving them cards. Any time she goes to an athletic meeting, she will have cards for 10-20 athletes with just the right words for each in view of the situation and their particular needs and pressures.

‘It is because of Jesus that I do it. He helped me through and because of the way Christians in Sport supported me by coming and praying with me and reading the Bible with me I came to realise the importance of this ministry among athletes.

‘I try to help athletes not to get their self-worth from athletics, but to realise that God and other people value them for other things. It is easy for an athlete to think that their value depends on the performance on the track; I try to tell them that God loves them and values them for who they are, regardless of what they do.’