Olympic volleyball player Kelly Cheng planning to use platform to share Christ

As the Paris 2024 Olympics approach, Team USA beach volleyball player Kelly Cheng is preparing to use her platform on the world stage to share the message of Jesus Christ.

Cheng secured a spot in Paris by winning a gold medal in the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships with her partner Sarah Hughes. Cheng and Hughes have a long history of winning together, spanning over a decade.

The pair earned a bronze medal at the 2013 U19 World Championships, along with a silver at the 2014 U21 World Championships. They also won back-to-back national championships at the University of Southern California in 2016-17.

Cheng’s first Olympic experience came during the 2020-21 Tokyo Games, playing in an empty stadium due to COVID restrictions. Cheng says the whole experience was “weird” and marred by forced pandemic isolation as she finished in ninth place with partner Sarah Sponcil.

In a recent interview with Sports Spectrum, Cheng spoke about this experience and how she feels God has placed her and her teammate on a path to do something amazing in this year’s Olympics.

Cheng recounted that winning the gold medal in last year’s FIVB Beach Volleyball championships showed her and Hughes what they’re capable of as a duo, adding their chemistry stems from more than just experience, but rather their shared faith and practice of praying together before matches at the world championships.

I’m actually so glad you brought up World Championships. … God showed up in so many incredible ways,” Cheng told Sports Spectrum’s Jon Ackerman. “Sarah’s Catholic, I’m a Christian, and I think we’ve had some really awesome conversations about God. … And it’s something that I’m really passionate about, and it’s very much why I do what I do. I really want to glorify him with the gifts that He’s given me, and it’s been really fun getting to have those conversations with Sarah because she’s also a believer.”

Cheng says everything shifted for the pair at the world championships whenever Hughes asked her if they could pray together before a match. The teammates grabbed each other’s hands and prayed – and as Cheng puts it, the peace of God came upon them, and they felt a very real sense of His presence with them.

Though the duo secured the gold medal during those games, Cheng says the pre-match prayer was the “coolest moment” for her, and that it opened a whole new lane of connection with her teammate. She notes that even their casual conversations as they’ve traveled together have turned to the Lord and what He’s doing in their lives.

The 28-year-old says her competitive travel schedule has made it difficult to connect with a local church, but she’s found great encouragement in a weekly small group, made up of couples from all different churches who meet to read the Word and books while praying and worshipping together.

Cheng’s Instagram bio notably leads with “saved by grace” before listing herself as an Olympian and world champion.

She was asked why.

“It’s crazy to me that an all-knowing, all-powerful God would humble Himself and come down to Earth as a human and sacrifice Himself for me – He would go through all of that torture and torment so I can live eternity with Him. …

“I still struggle with my own self-worth, and there are times I very much don’t feel worthy of that, but really try to lean into ‘that’s what He did for me, that’s what He did for you, that’s what He did for everyone, whoever has lived and whoever will live.’ …

“As an athlete, it’s just so hard to not attach my value to what I do, and on top of that, like, how well I’m doing what I’m doing when my income is based on how well I do in my sport. … All of those things ride on me performing well, so it’s so hard not to attach my self-worth to that. So, I feel like [‘saved by grace’] is also a reminder to me.”

The two-time Olympian says she’s currently reading the entire Old Testament, learning to listen to God through His word. She’s started journaling her experience in the Word, which has given her confidence in God’s faithfulness.

As she prepares for Paris, Cheng is focused on using her platform well.

“A gold in Paris would be incredible and a steppingstone on our journey. … I think God has us on this path just to do something amazing, and a gold medal would enhance that platform that he’s already given us. I’m just trying to stay faithful and grounded and just very much stay in the present.”

Beach volleyball for the Paris Olympics starts July 26.