The Catholic Church in her wisdom gives us the virtues to help us live a holy life with Christian values. These virtues help us to be like Jesus, bring us closer to God the Father, and ultimately help us in our journey to heaven.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines fortitude as “the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of good, enabling one to conquer fear and face trials. It involves the ability to endure danger, pain and adversity with courage” (CCC 1808). Given the various challenges in our world today, this a crucial virtue for Catholics. For athletes, fortitude is an essential quality to having a successful career.
It is very easy to see professional sports in a very cynical way today, given the amount of money players receive and the very bad behaviour that makes headlines daily. Many athletes pursue success for vanity and fame. Because of this, some might look down on sports and athletics as a useless pursuit or at minimum far less important than many other issues in life.
However, athletes who perform at a high level are showcasing the gifts that God has given to them. What many of us do not see are the almost heroic efforts of many athletes to achieve these high levels, many times by fighting through extremely difficult and sometimes tragic circumstances with fortitude. Some of the roadblocks that some athletes have overcome have included career-threatening injuries, substance abuse, online bullying and threats, poverty, family issues, racism, being cut or demoted from a team, or other internal and external factors.
For most people who have gone through such challenges, it would be admirable to simply maintain mental balance daily. But despite these challenges, some of these athletes have reached the top of the sports world. This has required courage, endurance and moral strength.
Here are some examples of athletes who have overcome many challenges with fortitude:
Bethany Hamilton grew up surfing in Hawaii. At the age of 13, while out surfing with friends, a 14-foot tiger shark bit off her left arm. Within a month, she was back surfing, and two months after that she resumed competing in major events. She counted her faith in Jesus as the reason she found her fortitude and determination. Hamilton was a speaker at the 2025 March for Life Pro Life rally in Washington D.C.
Hidilyn Diaz won the gold medal in weightlifting for the Philippines in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics while wearing the miraculous medal. She grew up with 5 siblings in a very impoverished family in Zamboanga City in Mindanao. The fortitude and unbelievable dedication that she showed once God blessed her with an opportunity was legendary. “I am thankful to God that he gave me a chance to be a role model, that I am a fighter, fighting for my dreams.”
Wilma Rudolph contracted scarlet fever and polio as a child and yet overcame these serious illnesses to become known as the fastest female runner of the 1960’s. She won numerous gold and silver medals at the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games.
Jim Abbott pitched for four major league teams over 10 years despite being born with no right hand. He pitched a no hitter for the New York Yankees. He had to hold his glove on the stump of his right hand while he pitched the ball. Despite the odds being heavily stacked against him, by the grace of God and a lot of personal fortitude, he was a winner.
Other amazing examples of fortitude through adversity include track star Jesse Owens and baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who both were pioneers in their respective sports through awful resistance and threats due to their race. We also must not forget Canadian heroes Terry Fox and Rick Hansen, whose efforts brought widespread awareness to their respective causes.
When discussing one’s own weakness and hard times, St. Josemaria Escriva said, “Trust completely in Christ through prayer and sacraments.” When confronted by difficulties in our life we can often lose our peace, hope and sense of reason. As St. John Paul II has said, “Do not fear…to reach such fortitude man must go beyond his own limits and run the risk of an unknown situation or result.”
And of course, in all endeavours and setbacks – athletic or otherwise, it is always good to turn to prayer and the intercession of the Holy Mother in our desire for fortitude to overcome.
This is part of Patrick Macken’s series on virtues for athletes. You can read the previous piece on Humility here.
