The Winter Olympics And The BibleParaugs

Nicole Hensley Shares Love of the Bible Online and on the Ice

Nicole Hensley wasn’t the most likely choice to make the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team, but the Lakewood, Colorado, native somehow found her way onto the talented roster that won back-to-back World Championships and was expected to contend for gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Since the earliest days of her international career, Hensley has become known for her public devotion to the Bible through such visible acknowledgments as verses that often appear on her goalie’s mask. One of her more prominent tributes was taken directly from Psalm 144:1:

“Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” (NIV)

Fellow goalie and roommate Maddie Rooney told NBC Sports that Hensley usually spends at least one hour a day reading the Bible. Hensley also makes a concerted effort to post verses on her social media sites throughout the week including a photo that captured her handwritten rendition of 1 Peter 1:6–7. 

She started the practice after purchasing a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) book called Heart of an Athlete at a bookstore in St. Louis.

“So the verses that I post are kind of through the focus of what the devotional is for that day,” Hensley explained. “For me, I feel that with the abilities and love for hockey that God has given me, He’s also given me a bit of a platform to possibly reach others who are wondering about their faith, or maybe don’t have any faith, or want to grow stronger in their faith.”