In our last issue, I began a new series called “What It Takes to Be a Champion,” drawing on lessons I learned during my 35-year waterskiing career. I discovered that the same principles that lead to success in athletics can also help us become champions in life—and most importantly, champions for God.
As a former world champion, I often emphasize the importance of getting off the dock daily and saying, “Hit it!” to the boat driver. I know that victory can only come when I step out of my comfort zone and surrender to the boat’s power.
But as I shared in my last article, getting off the dock was rarely easy. Pain, fear, disappointment, negative thoughts, difficult circumstances, discouraging voices—so many things conspired against me. Yet with God’s help, I found the strength to step out onto the water and move toward victory.
He has helped me do the same in life.
Thinking back, here’s what I know. Breakthroughs never came quickly or easily. No matter my skill level—novice, amateur, or pro—not once did I jump off the dock and get it right the first time. Behind every new accomplishment were countless falls and failures.
Sometimes I fell by my own error; other times, because of others—equipment failure, bad weather, poor judgment, and even an unexpected alligator crossing my path.
Regardless of the cause, I always had a choice: give up or get back up—or, as I say, Quit it or hit it! one more time.
Breakthrough and victory are not just about finding the strength to keep getting up, though that does matter. It’s even more important to get up with the right mindset and a growth plan. If you keep getting up without taking time to understand why you fell, you simply set yourself up for another fall.
So how should you handle those challenging moments when you find yourself “in the drink,” so you can continue moving toward success?
First, you must learn to calm your mind and refocus your thoughts when you’re down in the water. Naturally, you will feel emotions—frustration, disappointment, anger, shame. You’re human. The key is not allowing your emotions to consume you. And that’s not an easy task.
When I’d fall off those water skis, I’d get so angry. There were times I even hit myself in the head out of frustration. I’d also say the most horrific things to myself: “You’re such a disappointment! You idiot, why can’t you get it right?”
But negative emotions and self-talk only clouded my thinking and weighed my heart down, anchoring my soul to defeat. I had to learn to have grace for myself.
I also had to learn to forgive—not only myself, but others who had knocked me down along the way. I had to forgive injustices, unfair situations, hurtful words, and disappointments. Blaming others may feel justified in the moment, but the blame game is dangerous. It changes nothing. For me, it became a distraction that kept me stuck in the water instead of moving forward toward healing and victory.
I had no idea how deeply my past failures had affected my view of myself until one day a pastor said to me, “Kristi, I believe the Lord is showing me that you need to forgive yourself for all the times you fell short of your goals.”
The moment he said those words, a dam broke inside me. Tears poured out as years of grief over failures and missed opportunities surfaced.
Somewhere along the way, I had connected falling off a water ski with my identity as a person. I had set an impossible standard of perfection for my life, so when I fell short of my goals, I felt like I had failed.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive for excellence. Matthew 5:48 tells us to “be perfect… even as your heavenly Father is perfect” (NIV). Now don’t panic—the word perfect here is not about flawlessness—it’s about growth and maturity, becoming more like Christ in all we say and do.
Being perfected is a lifelong pursuit. It’s a journey that often includes falls and failures. But those failures can become launching pads to greatness—if we let them.
To keep going, I had to encourage myself daily. I reminded myself that growth takes time and recalled why I was committed to the process in the first place. Remembering my “why” gave me the strength to get back up again. Another thing that helped was finding something good that happened despite the fall. Celebrating victories—no matter how small—helped me see my progress.
I also leaned on the encouragement of the people around me who were pursuing excellence themselves and who genuinely wanted to see me succeed. These were my “boat crew.”
My boat crew included only those pursuing excellence—no negativity or slacking off. My coaches and training partners all shared my commitment to growth because, as Scripture says, “Iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17).
I trained with the best male skiers in the world so I could be surrounded by greatness. These guys didn’t cut me any slack. They pushed me to limits I didn’t know were possible, encouraging me and reminding me that I was a champion who could accomplish great things.
Sometimes watching them succeed was all the encouragement I needed. If I wasn’t getting it right, I’d climb into the boat, watch them model success, then get back out and try again.
Usually, getting up correctly needed instruction, which required humility and patience. My coaches saw what I couldn’t—small adjustments that made all the difference.
Correction was often uncomfortable, and I didn’t always understand it at first. But to improve, I knew I had to trust those with the wisdom and perspective to help me grow.
The same is true in life.
If you want to become the champion God created you to be, you must be willing to receive wise counsel. Sometimes others can recognize unhealthy patterns, fears, attitudes, or distractions that we cannot see in ourselves. Humility says, “Help me see what I’m missing.”
King David understood this when he prayed: “Search me, O God, and know my heart.… See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24 NIV).
David invited God to examine every part of his life and reveal what needed healing, changing, strengthening, or surrendering.
Through His Word, His Spirit, and the wise believers around us, God—the Master Coach—lovingly leads us in our growth. Our job is to stay teachable, stay humble, and keep getting back up.
I often recorded my performances so I could examine my runs. I spent hours watching that video footage, studying what I did right and what I did wrong. Then I would mentally picture myself making the correction and succeeding.
Growth requires honesty. You cannot improve if you refuse to evaluate yourself. Just be careful not to become overly critical. Remember, perfection isn’t the goal—growth is.
But recognizing the problem is only the beginning. Once you know what needs to change, you must be willing to do the hard work of making the change. That means getting back up repeatedly and continuing to try, even when progress feels slow.
Real change takes time. You won’t get it right the first time. In fact, sometimes it will feel like you are getting worse before the breakthrough finally comes. I experienced that often in my career. There were seasons when I had to go back to the basics and relearn skills I thought I had already mastered. It was humbling and frustrating—but necessary.
Friend, don’t quit. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Ask God to reveal what needs to change and embrace feedback from those He places in your life. With God’s help, make necessary adjustments, trust the learning process, and encourage yourself on the journey.
Because that’s what champions do.
Consider: When you experience failure or a setback, do you respond by condemning yourself, blaming others, or seeking growth? Do you need to forgive yourself or someone else for a past mistake or disappointment? Who is in your “boat crew”? How might your current setback become a steppingstone to your next breakthrough?
KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON encourages and equips people for victory through her writings, speaking engagements, and prison ministry. To learn more, go to kojministries.org.
