Gold Medalist Drops Major Sponsor Because of Religious Beliefs
Colton Satterfield seemingly had it all. He was a professional BMX athlete sponsored by Monster Energy.
He has a gold medal from the 2014 X Games and another from the 2015 X Games. He is known around the world for his skill as a BMX biker.
A big sponsorship, gold medals, talent, and fame meant nothing compared to Satterfield’s faith, though. We’ve all seen public figures shy away from being vocal about their faith.
Often, that silence or purposeful avoidance of being open about one’s faith is to maintain approval and not risk offence in any way. Satterfield decided that he wouldn’t remain silent.
He posted on Instagram on Nov. 12, “God is actually real, Christ actually lives, and there is one entirely true Church with the entire fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ restored by Him. A knowledge and gift and truth so glorious that it should be consistently shouted and shared.”
Satterfield’s beliefs described above influenced how he viewed his sponsorship with Monster Energy. He decided to drop them as a sponsor.
Monster Energy’s edgy logos and marketing no longer could be supported by the gold medalist because of “personal religious reasons,” according to his statement posted by Vital BMX. He explained that this decision was not made lightly.
He was willing to give up the financial gain and other benefits that came from Monster Energy as a sponsor. He also realizes that much of the world will not understand his decision.
“I can imagine some non religious people thinking this is wild or crazy, and not that long ago I would have been one of those people… But I had a strait up real and wildly profound experience that shockingly confirmed serious religious truth to me,” Satterfield wrote in a followup statement.
He has boldly proclaimed on his Facebook page, “Christ and God are real, and that’s why you’re here.” Tim Tebow is another athlete known for his religious identity, Christianity specifically.
Tebow recognizes what his true purpose is here, and he knows it isn’t sports. He doesn’t want to be known as a football player or baseball player; he wants to be known for so much more.
“I want to be someone that was known for bringing faith, hope, and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need,” said Tebow. He feels that it is his calling as a Christian to help in any way he can.
Contrary to how it sounds, Tebow is incredibly grateful for his opportunity to play sports professionally. He is especially thankful for the platform that being a professional athlete has given him.
“I am so grateful for sports because it’s given me a platform to be able to share love and care for people all over the world, so I wouldn’t trade that for anything,” said Tebow.
Tim Tebow is one celebrity that should be admired. He has stuck to his beliefs and made an effort to help those in need.
Satterfield’s willingness to publicly share his beliefs and drop a major sponsor because of his personal convictions is also admirable. The athletic talent these two men have is impressive, but their uncompromising dedication to their faith says even more.
Correction, Feb. 15, 2019: The title of this story was updated from ‘Gold Medalist Drops Major Sponsor Because of Christian Beliefs’ to ‘Gold Medalist Drops Major Sponsor Because of Religious Beliefs’ on March 24, 2018. A notation was not made as a correction at that time. We apologize for any confusion.
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