Latter-day Saint Life

LDS Olympic Medalist Says She Doesn't Fit the Mormon Mold, but It's Made Her Faith Stronger

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The first U.S. weightlifter to win an Olympic medal in 16 years, Sarah Robles, shares how recommitting to her LDS faith helped make her stronger in every aspect of her life.

Two years ago, Sarah Robles looked at her life and realized she’d allowed her life to drift far from her dreams because she didn’t feel like she fit the Mormon mold.

“I’m not a stereotypical LDS girl,” said the 28-year old LDS weightlifter about a week before she won bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games. “If you’re in the (LDS) church, you learn Church culture, and that’s not me. … You know, our church is very centered in family life and having children, and kind of, well, I resigned to the fact that I was going to be alone. … I live a different life.”

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Robles’ life is that of a world-class weightlifter.

'Be my best self'

A two-time Olympian and three-time national champion said that while she’s always been comfortable with being different, she felt like the typical Mormon goals were out of reach for her.

“I thought it was just never going to happen for me, so what’s the point?” said Robles, a California native who converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a teen. “After a while, I kind of figured out if I want that to happen, I need to be my best self. And not being an active member of the Church isn’t going to get me the things that I had wanted, which would be a temple marriage and raising my family in the Church, and those types of things, like having a priesthood holder in my home. So I was like, ‘Sarah, you’re thinking is wrong and it’s silly. So just go back.’”

Lead image from Deseret News.
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