Kardia Dunah - Track & Field

I was…

Image conscious. Growing up I always struggled with being African American. Growing up in a Christian household I had this idea implanted in my brain of what the “perfect Christian girl” was supposed to be like; polite, nice, reserved, etc. I was always aware of the stereotypes of being black, and in my mind, having any part of the “stereotypical black girl qualities” would not allow me to reach that perfect Christian girl status. I was always wanting to live up to the expectation of this view. This made me suppress the person I really was and try to force myself to be someone that I was not. I was so worried about what others thought about me and how the color of my skin would affect how people saw me so I would hold back and never really embrace who I was as a person.

But Christ

Is who I found my identity in. As I grew in my walk with Christ and learned through His Word who He declares me as, I found myself feeling less image conscious when it came to how people saw me and more aware of who I am as a Child of Christ. It did not matter the color of my skin or the way I wanted people to see me as, what mattered was me realizing that I can embrace my uniqueness as a person and use the personality and the gifts that God has given me to be salt and light to the world.

And now…

I have learned to see myself the way God sees me. It is definitely hard sometimes, especially in a world where I see and experience the judgement of others because of first glances. But in these times, I remind myself of who I truly am- a child if God who is chosen, holy, blameless, redeemed, forgiven , and created in His image. Finding hope and peace in these things, I am able to be my true self and aspire to live in a way that will further Gods Kingdom. Without truly knowing God and trusting in His Word, I would be lost in my insecurities and fail to live in a way that will point others to Christ. But finding my identity in Christ alone has set me free and allowed me to love who I am in Christ.

Life Verse

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice. Philippians 4:4

Challenge to Other Athletes/Coaches

What can we do to reflect or grow closer to God on and off the field?

I would challenge you truly discern where your identity is. When we put our identity’s in the things of this world, such as sports or job position, we invest so much time building up that part of our lives. Instead we should establish our identity in Christ and build that up. Once that happens, I believe that God works through us, both on and off the field, as we seek Him first.