This morning in chapel, Grace Norman, paralympic gold medalist and 2025 Young Alumna of the Year at Cedarville, shared the powerful testimony of God’s work in her life as He taught her how to surrender her plans to Him.

Norman was born with only one foot. From the time she was young, she had a competitive spirit and never let her disability stop her. After watching the paralympic trials for track and field before the 2012 London Paralympic Games, she decided she wanted to compete one day. She completed her first triathlon at age 12. By age 18, she had won her first gold medal in the Rio Paralympic Games.

After her time at Cedarville, she competed in the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic games, but she was unable to defend her gold medal, winning silver instead. This was not what she had set out to do, and she was very disappointed. As a result, she began to put her athletic excellence on a pedestal.

Norman brought this mindset into the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, feeling strong and confident as she made a perfect plan for the year. Then, a cascade of physical issues began to impact her training and racing. She tried to push on, but eventually she reached a breaking point. Crushed and frustrated, she wanted to quit. She asked God why He had stripped away everything that gave her confidence as an athlete.

As she sat in her disappointment, she began to realize that God was asking her to release her own plans. He wanted her to trust His timing and plan instead. She realized that God never leaves us alone to face trials; He gives us community. The people you invest in become the people who surround you when you need them most.

Norman chose to focus on the little things. She couldn’t bike or run, but she swam twice a day. She let go of the gold medal in her mind. Her coach told her that anything is possible with God.

Slowly, God gave Norman the strength and healing to be ready to race. By the time she made it to the start line in Paris, she knew she had already won — not the gold medal, but an indescribable peace. Norman said, “I made it a point to race with joy, not for my glory but for His.”

At the finish line, Norman reclaimed gold. She was overwhelmed with emotion upon finishing. After the race, she was asked if she was happy with her performance. All she could say was, “It was all God.”

Life is not easy. You will face moments when you want to quit. But trials are not meant to destroy your faith; they strengthen and refine it. So give God control, lean on the community He gives you, and discover the joy of being fully surrendered to Him.

“The gold medal wasn’t the greatest gift,” Norman said. “The greatest gift was learning to depend fully on God and experiencing His joy that surpassed any expectation that I had.”