By Michael Ashcraft —
After nailing a trick to snatch third place on her skateboard to the roars of fellow Brazilians, Olympian Rayssa Leal evangelized the world on camera. She used sign language to quote John 14:6 Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the Life.
Rayssa’s bold proclamation comes after the Parisian hosts to the 2024 Summer Games vulgarly recreated Leonardo da Vinci’s last supper with drag queens, provoking widespread disgust and dismay among Christians.
Jhulia Rayssa Mendese Leal, a mere 16 years old, was running behind 80 points to medal when she attempted a kick flip frontside board slide, something she had never attempted in a competition. When she landed it, Brazilians in the stands rose to their feet and howled with jubilation.
Born in Imperatriz, Brazil, Rayssa started skating at age 6 when a family friend gifted her a skateboard. She had a knack for it, and at age 7, she jumped off three steps, twirled her board in the air, and landed to coast coolly forward. She was wearing a fairy tale tutu, and Tony Hawk tweeted her exploit as his trick of the day on Sept. 8, 2015.
Instantly, she became an international sensation. She was dubbed a Fadinha do Skate, the Little Fairy of Skateboarding.
She had a fairy tale ending.
In 2020 she won the silver in women’s street skateboarding in Tokyo. She just took the bronze in Paris.
Why she chose to communicate through sign language instead of Portuguese has raised speculation. Was she banned from talking about God by the French hosts? Did she want to make her message universal? Was she not confidant in English?
“When I was very young, I dreamed of becoming a skateboard athlete,” Rayssa said. “And here I am, with a second Olympic medal from the games. Once again, thank God I won a medal. I’m very happy to be here.”
To learn more about a personal relationship with Jesus, click here
Related content: Christian Hosoi, skateboard missionary, surfer Tom Curren, blind surfer.
About this writer: Michael Ashcraft pastors a church in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.
