071 Gigi Marvin on the time to act

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Gigi Marvin is an expert at taking action. A professional hockey player and three-time Olympic medalist, Gigi helped Team USA win gold earlier this year at the 2018 Olympics. But that rise to the top almost didn’t happen. Just months before the games, Gigi and her teammates chose to take a stand and demand action in regards to the state of women’s hockey across the country.

Who is Gigi Marvin? Gigi Marvin is a professional women’s hockey player, formerly with the Boston Pride, a member of Team USA, and a three-time Olympic medalist. Previously, she played for the University of Minnesota and the Boston Blades. In the last twelve years, she has played more than 118 international games as a member of Team USA. Gigi and her team brought home silver medals in the 2010 and 2014 Olympic games, and the coveted gold medal in the most recent 2018 games. Gigi scored the first goal in the Team USA shootout with Canada to win that gold. In the off-season, Gigi runs the Rink Rat hockey school in Warroad, MN, and travels the world sharing her experience as an athlete and as a follower of Jesus.

Gigi Marvin wants to see the sport of hockey become more accessible to women and girls everywhere. And she knows that making that a reality in the future requires some sacrifice now. She strives to live a daily life that is instep with Jesus, inviting him into the most mundane moments like sending emails and teaching kids to lace up their skates, her faith leading her to view each interaction as a chance to share Christ’s love for others.

Quotes:

“Not only did we forever change women’s hockey, but we were still able to go to the games and still compete. It was unbelievable.” — Gigi

“We risked our future, all the relationships we built, knowing it was an Olympic year and that we might not be selected for the team.” — Gigi

“How can we let another day go by without making change, knowing that girls everywhere are going to follow in our path? How could we leave it the same?” — Gigi

“That’s the whole intent of discipleship: to inject it naturally into your life.” — Gigi

Action Steps:

• Focus on seeing people the way God would see them, stripping away our transaction-first way of seeing.
• Taking a bold step requires faith, willingness to sacrifice, action, and more faith.
• You may have to suffer loss for someone else’s gain. God works on our heart to reorient us to look beyond the now and to the future, allowing us to sacrifice our desires for the needs of others.

Resources mentioned:

• Official website: rinkrat19.com
• Gigi’s USA Hockey Athlete Profile
• Connect with Gigi Marvin on Facebook and Twitter.

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