Denver Catholic

Rebecca Dussault to talk faith, sports at Theology on Tap BY NISSA LAPOINT If there was any doubt a world-class athlete could find fulfillment in the increasingly secular world of competitive sports and pursue a virtuous life, Olympian skier Rebecca Dussault could make a good case for it. Colorado-native Dussault has traversed the world claim- ing championships and com- peting in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. She finished sixth in the Triathlon World Championships in Ger- many, the best-ever finish for an American woman. She is an eight-time U.S. National Cross Country Ski champion and top- ranked U.S. Women's Nordic skier. Through it all, she's found sports nourish her faith and vocation. "We need sports and fitness because it helps our souls be victorious over the weakness of our bodies," said Dussault, 33, from her Gunnison home. It's also strengthened her vo- cation as wife to her husband, Sharbel, and mother to her four children. "As much as it's something I do, it's amazing how it gives purpose and strength to my whole family," she said. Dussault will speak to young adults about her life as a cham- pion world skier and living her Catholic faith at the next The- ology on Tap lecture, set for 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at Katie Mullen's Irish Restaurant and Pub, 1550 Court Place, in downtown Den- ver (see more information on Page 14). Dussault's love for sports be- gan when watching the Olym- pics as a young girl, which "moved me to my core," she said. When she began cross-coun- try ski racing at 15, she was confronted with the increas- ingly secularized environ- ment surrounding competitive sports. While traveling with her team, she was teased for wearing a chastity ring and ridiculed for getting married at 19. Teammates often partied and wouldn't let her play Chris- tian music. A coach once held a meeting in an office where por- nography was visible, she said. "Having lived in it much of the last decade and a half, I can say there's very little Christiani- ty in it," Dussault said. The temptations for vanity and pride are ripe in a world filled with freebies, she said. "You've got a lot of material gifts and you look amazing," she said. "You just live in this world of self and it leaves little room for seeking something else when you're so self-filled." She credits her homeschool- ing days in Gunnison with forti- fying her Catholic faith and giv- ing her the strength to live her beliefs and attend Mass despite the demands of competitive skiing. Instead of going to college, she married her childhood sweetheart and continued to pursue skiing in between "ba- by breaks" to have her children and focus on her family. "It's been such a blessing to be both," she said. "It hasn't made me the best ski-racer in the world, but I want to be the best mother in whole world, and that's my first goal." She's found that preparing for competitions and traveling with her family she calls her "domestic church" has helped draw them closer. Dussault has competed in other sports and enjoys bik- ing, running, tennis, hiking, ice climbing and kayaking, to name a few. Sports, she said, "pull out the best in me. It makes me a deter- mined, motivated person and it makes me see the potential in other people. When I'm com- petitive, I have a drive that flows over into my spiritual life." Competing has given her the platform to share her faith and give her the skills to pursue a holy life. "When I'm using (my gifts) properly and fully," she said, "I feel fulfilled and like I have a way to channel that glory back to God." Nissa LaPoint: 303-715-3138; nissa.lapoint@archden.org; www. twitter.com/DCRegisterNissa INDEX Archbishop's Column ......................2 The Catholic Difference ..................4 Nun of the Above quiz ....................4 Letters to the Editor .......................4 Education ....................................... 6-7 Puzzle Page ......................................13 Bulletin Board ................................. 14 Service Directory ........................... 15 Is there room for God in the Olympics? PHOTO PROVIDED GUNNISON'S Rebecca Dussault cross-country skis on Mount Hood in Oregon. The Olympian will speak at the next Theology on Tap in Denver on Feb. 10 about practicing her Catholic faith and competing in the secular world of competitive sports. FEBRUARY 5, 2014 113 Years of Service to the Gospel Volume XC - No. 5 www.DenverCatholicRegister.org I Follow us on INSIDE SUPER BOWL CATHOLIC PRESS MONTH PAGE 10 PAGE 3 Catholic press loses one of its own PHOTO BY THE DENVER POST 'Not the outcome we hoped for' DEBATE CATHOLIC LIFE PAGE 3 PAGE 12 Parishes plan to keep the Light on for You this Lenten season Professors debate death penalty: retribution or mercy?

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