The Sochi Winter Olympics closed over the weekend, and many of the Olympic venues have grown dark and quiet.
Now all we have left are memories and American medalists to celebrate as they return to the United States.
One of those medalists is freestyle skiing halfpipe gold medalist David Wise.
Wise is a 23-year-old freestyle skier who has accomplished enough to make many of his professional skiing counterparts jealous.
He has picked up victories on the Winter Dew Tour and U.S. Grand Prix, along with an X Games silver medal and three X Games gold medals in SuperPipe.
Then he went to Sochi and threw down a nearly perfect run to win gold.
Wise had already grabbed people’s attention through the tricks he could successfully execute in the halfpipe. Yet as much attention as he received for his skiing, people also began talking about his life away from the slopes.
An Alternative Lifestyle
In an extreme sport often characterized by risk-taking, partying and bachelor life, Wise has chosen a much different path.
He is a married man and the father of a little girl.
Compared with many of his competitors, Wise stands out. The difference appeared so stark that NBC Sports reporter Skyler Wilder referred to his way of life as an “alternative lifestyle.”
Truthfully, the label is somewhat appropriate.
His competitors are rarely described as mature, much less as family men. Even our culture at large often suggests that 23-year-old men do not need to get married.
Many people would say, “That’s too young for a guy to make that kind of commitment.”
The natural progression in many romantic relationships has become moving from dating to living together. Wise bypassed the expectations of both his peers and the wider culture by choosing to live according to his convictions and faith in God.
He knows his time in the halfpipe will fade quickly.
The limelight, sponsorships and Visa commercials will eventually disappear. His role as a husband and father, however, is something he believes can make a lasting impact.
A Commitment Worth Celebrating
That kind of commitment is worth celebrating.
There is nothing especially unique about a guy who goes out and parties every weekend.
In some ways, it is more extreme and rebellious to be a committed Christian, husband and father because it requires hard work, sacrifice and endurance.
Commitment is an ideal every Olympic athlete understands.
For Wise, that commitment extends beyond the slopes to pursuing Christ, loving his wife and raising his daughter.
So let’s celebrate David Wise for his Olympic success and for his commitment to become a better man when he takes off his skis.
That is one “alternative lifestyle” we are more than willing to applaud.