Olympian Skates for Jesus and Canada
Photos by Greg Kolz and Brett Johnson
Canadian speed skater Anders Johnson made his debut at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Anders, who serves at Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel in Calgary, Alberta, competed in the men’s 500- and 1,000-meter races. “Win or lose, my identity is in Jesus Christ,” he shared.
With the Winter Olympics behind him, Canadian speed skater Anders Johnson is still in awe of the incredible opportunity to represent his country and his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan, Italy, in February. Although he has competed in many national and international championships, even setting a record and taking gold at the 2024 World Championships in team sprint, it was his first appearance at the Games.
Crediting his Creator, the 28-year-old athlete stated, “I feel God gave me the sport, and part of pursuing it has been to get to the Games. With any platform that He brings, I want to give Him the glory. I prayed that the Lord would bless me to become an Olympian and have more exposure.” As an active member of Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel (RMCC) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Anders often leads worship for the young adult group and is completing studies at Liberty University with a focus on apologetics.
In his Olympic debut, Anders competed in the 1,000- and 500-meter races. “I am more of a 500-meter skater, and I was blessed to qualify for a spot for Canada and then qualify for my own spot to skate it at trials in January,” disclosed Anders. “I skated that 1,000 meters and gave it my all. I was happy with my performance in the 500, and the Lord blessed that.” Though he didn’t take a medal in either competition, Anders finished 16th in the 500 meters, with a time of 34.81 seconds and arrived in 22nd place in the 1,000 meters with a time of 1:09.54, competing against dozens of men from 14-15 different nations.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6
While Anders prepared physically for the competition, he also enlisted spiritual support. “I had a time of praying with my RMCC pastors and ... the awesome sports chaplain at the Canadian Sports Institute; praying and prepping ahead of time for the emotional ups and downs, knowing my identity is in Jesus Christ, not in being an Olympian,” he admitted. “My value is not in the results on a screen; it is in Jesus and the salvation that He bought for me.”
Anders enjoys a pep-talk with his parents, Rob and Janey Johnson.
Opportunity is God’s Favor
Touring the Olympic Village with his country’s foreign affairs minister, as well as the minister of sports before his races in Milan, gave rise to a lively discussion about what it means to be a Canadian. Thinking deeply about this, Anders expounded, “You see the legacy of so many that made sacrifices to move to Canada and start something new. So, when you go to the [start] line, you feel all that. It all comes full circle into one race, and you feel the support of Canadians ... you are proud of that identity.” Although he is thankful to pursue his sport, representing his country on the world stage, Anders didn’t miss the chance to point out the most valuable truth: “We have a citizenship in Heaven; how great it is to represent our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ every day.”
Listening to a podcast on the Book of Nehemiah, Anders pressed in when the speaker mentioned ‘opportunity is God’s favor’. “I wanted to accept this opportunity the Lord gave me as an Olympian, stepping to the next level and using it to bless others,” he revealed. Anders initiated relationships with other speed skaters while on his Olympic journey, starting in Germany. “I started a Bible study with two American speed skaters, going Calvary Chapel style,” he chuckled. “I said, ‘Let's do 1 Peter and work through it each week. We will do a chapter, read and talk about it, and pray.’” Meeting together and encouraging each other regularly displayed the seriousness of their faith, and it opened doors to witness about Christ.
“If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. Nehemiah 2:4b & 8b
“Jesus doesn’t love me. He would never love me,” a fellow Canadian athlete told Anders. “We were able to talk about that,” Anders reassured. “I said, ‘Oh yes, He does! He died for you.’ And I shared the Gospel with him.” Bathed in attention from fans and corporations looking for brand ambassadors during the Games, many Olympians feel like celebrities. “After all that excitement and hope, when they go home, it feels like that’s all stripped away. They can get the ‘Olympic blues’ when they go back to normal life, realizing it didn’t fill that hole they were looking for. Only Jesus can do that. Lord willing, I want to use this platform [as an Olympian], so that if they feel some despair or lose hope and joy, I can show them Jesus, who will ultimately fulfill that.”
Celebrating his accomplishments, Anders excitedly greets and hugs his mom.
Finishing Well
Ever since he was a student in RMCC’s School of Ministry, Associate Pastor Dan Llewellyn has watched Anders grow in his faith walk. “Anders has lived out Luke 16:10a, He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. As he has been faithful along each step, the Lord has continued to add more blessing, using each platform as a new opportunity for Anders to glorify Him, as instructed in Colossians 3:17: And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Observing how the Lord worked through Anders’ journey to the Olympics, Dan shared, “Year after year, as the Lord has blessed Anders and opened doors for him, Anders has been so faithful to continue to use his gifts to give the glory to the Lord and to allow the character of Christ to shine through him.”
During the opening ceremonies in Milan, Anders recalls, “I was in the big football stadium with over 70,000 people. We walked through a big golden ring, and when they announced Canada, everyone cheered so loudly, you could feel the whole place shaking. I was just overwhelmed with a sense that though this welcome is incredible, how much more our welcome will be when we go to Heaven, our final home, where the Lord welcomes us with millions of other believers and angels. I kind of teared up [thinking] about it because it’s an example of the race we each run. I look forward to that crown we get to lay down at Jesus' feet and hear ‘well done good and faithful servant.’”
Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men. Proverbs 22:29
Before getting back on the ice to begin off-season training for the 2026/27 fall World Cup, Anders plans to resume classes at Liberty University and return to leading worship at RMCC. In talks with his Senior Pastor Glen Nudd, Anders senses the Lord leading him in a new direction. “This coming four years, I’m seeking the Lord to show me the next steps on this transition from being an athlete to going into ministry,” Anders eagerly remarked. “Whether that is going the music avenue or being in pastoral service, I pray He will continue to bless that I will continue to excel.”
Associate Pastor Dan, equally excited, commented, “I’m so looking forward to seeing how the Lord continues to use Anders for His glory in this next leg of his race.”
With speeds up to 60 miles per hour on the track, Anders said, “I skated that 1,000 meters and gave it my all. I was happy with my performance in the 500, and the Lord blessed that.”
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