An Olympic Champion’s Journey to Real Life and Meaning (Part 1 of 2)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Focus on the Family with Jim Daly

Episode: An Olympic Champion’s Journey to Real Life and Meaning (Part 1 of 2)
Guest: Scott Hamilton
Air Date: February 10, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the redemptive life journey of Olympic gold medalist figure skater Scott Hamilton. Through heartfelt storytelling, Hamilton shares about his struggles with illness, adoption, loss, and his relentless pursuit of self-worth, only to discover that true fulfillment could only come from God. The episode offers candid insights into Hamilton’s childhood adversities, the powerful influence of his mother, his dreams and failures as an athlete, and the spiritual awakening that reframed his understanding of success.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Early Adversity and Adoption

• Scott’s beginnings as an “unintended” child (03:18)—adopted by loving teachers from Ohio, and how adoption became a core part of his identity.
  • “I was an oops. I was unintended... but was I unwanted? Over the years, I really understood that God is in control and he chose those parents for me.” – Scott Hamilton (03:18)
• Handling teasing about adoption with humor and confidence, thanks to parental coaching:
  • “Yeah, I was adopted. My parents actually chose me. Your parents got stuck with whatever came out.” – Scott Hamilton (04:50)

Childhood Illness and Unexpected Beginnings in Skating

• Significant early health challenges—failure to grow, misdiagnoses, repeated hospitalizations (05:17–06:04).
• The family’s local physician recommends ice skating as a way for Scott’s parents to recharge, inadvertently laying the path for his future:
  • “There’s a brand new facility… at Bowling Green State University where they teach children how to ice skate from 8am to noon... you guys can just rest, restore.” – Scott Hamilton (07:26)
• Discovery of self-esteem through skating:
  • “For the first time in my life, I tasted self esteem... I have an identity in this. I can actually do this and I like it and I’m good at it.” – Scott Hamilton (08:04)

Athletic Setbacks and Perseverance

• Regional success, but harsh national debut (multiple falls in competition):
  • “I rose to the occasion five times. I fell five times in a three minute program... falling five times in three minutes had to be a record.” – Scott Hamilton (08:58)
• Unwavering resilience—embracing failure as “information” and motivation rather than baggage.

The Pivotal Influence and Loss of His Mother

• Announcement of his mother’s cancer diagnosis:
  • Her positive attitude during a family meeting, despite the grave news:
    • “Okay, I need some help after school... We’re broke. We’re going to get you through one more year of skating. And then you’re done... Have a great year. Make it your best year ever. And then next year, life’s going to change.” – Scott Hamilton’s mother (11:08)
• Channeling grief into perseverance:
  • “I didn’t have to lose her. I could take her with me every single day to the ice and I could be accountable to her.” – Scott Hamilton (15:10)
  • This mindset fueled Scott to honor his mother in everything, intensifying both his training and character.

Achieving (and Understanding) Olympic Success

-Olympic gold and what came after:
- The realization that reaching the pinnacle does not fill deeper needs: - “So many people... once they get there, so often... it doesn’t fill that hole.” – Jim Daly (18:13) - Hamilton’s humorous self-awareness about his “unlikely” path to the top: - “I'm the least likely person on the planet to win an Olympic gold medal... But what I started to figure out was that every single one of those failures was a spectacular learning opportunity.” – Scott Hamilton (21:02)

Faith Journey: From Belief to Relationship

• Growing up, Scott saw faith modeled by others, but lacked understanding or personal connection:
  • “I believe, but I don't know what to do. I believe, but I’m stuck.” – Scott Hamilton (22:11)
• Moments of prayer in crisis, but faith remained abstract until later, post-Olympic trials, career challenges, and his own cancer diagnosis.
  • A sense of not being alone—God’s presence was felt even if not comprehended.
  • “I just felt toxic and not healthy... I needed to start over. I had a second chance at life. My mom didn't. I needed to start over.” – Scott Hamilton, on his post-cancer search for deeper meaning (24:00)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being chosen:
  “Being adopted is being wanted.” – Scott Hamilton (04:08)

• On handling teasing about adoption:
  “My parents actually chose me. Your parents got stuck with whatever came out.” – Scott Hamilton (04:51)

• On early skating days:
  “For the first time in my life, I tasted self esteem.” – Scott Hamilton (08:08)

• On perseverance:
  “I could take her [my mother] with me every single day to the ice and I could be accountable to her. I could honor every single sacrifice she made for me.” – Scott Hamilton (15:11)

• On the emptiness of success:
  “So many people that pursue that kind of lofty goal... if they're honest about it, it doesn't fill that hole.” – Jim Daly (18:13)

• On learning from setbacks:
  “Every single one of those failures was a spectacular learning opportunity.” – Scott Hamilton (21:02)

• On early faith explorations:
  “I believe, but I don’t know what to do. I believe, but I’m stuck. I believe, but I...” – Scott Hamilton (22:11)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Adoption & Early Family Background: 03:18–05:08
• Childhood Illness & Skating Beginnings: 05:17–08:31
• Early Skating Failures & Mother's Cancer: 08:40–13:00
• Losing His Mother & Channeling Grief: 14:12–15:23
• Olympic Victory & Emptiness: 18:05–21:02
• Faith Journey and Spiritual Wrestling: 22:04–24:00
• Episode Wrap and Preview for Part 2: 25:06–26:27

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Tone and Style

Scott Hamilton is warm, transparent, and humorously self-deprecating. Jim Daly and John Fuller’s hosting is compassionate and gently directive, leading Scott into deeper reflection while emphasizing themes of hope and redemption.

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Closing Reflection

This episode not only celebrates Hamilton’s sporting achievements but—more importantly—examines the spiritual and emotional valleys behind those victories. It’s a story of resilience, faith, and discovering that no worldly goal or accolade compares to the satisfaction of a relationship with God. Part 2 promises to delve further into Scott’s faith journey and God’s work in his life after triumph and tragedy.

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For more resources, Scott’s book “Finish First” is mentioned throughout, and listeners are invited to continue the conversation in the next episode.

Transcript

[Scott Hamilton]

Your marriage can be healed.

[Jim Daly]

A Hope restored marriage intensive from FOCUS on the Family can transform you and your spouse's relationship in just a few days.

[Scott Hamilton]

We'll go to this thing, but this is it. If this doesn't work, we're done. What we have now, it's way more than we ever had before and that I ever even dreamed of in the marriage.

[Jim Daly]

Discover [e-mail] that's hoperestored.com.

[Scott Hamilton]

I was sick. I didn't grow. I was the smallest and the weakest. I was this, I was that. I was a loser. I'd fallen all these times. I embarrassed myself. Just all the bad things that happened. But what I started to figure out was that every single one of those failures was a spectacular learning opportunity.

[John Fuller]

Quite the perspective from former Olympic champion figure skater Scott Hamilton as he describes his many years of discouragement before winning a goal. And that's a reminder that in our own disappointments and failures, we shouldn't give up. We never give up. We can learn and grow in those dark times. This is FOCUS on the Family with Jim Daly. Thanks for joining us. I'm John Fuller.

[Jim Daly]

John, we spent some time with Scott Hamilton and learned a lot about his life. I didn't know. I thought I knew, but I did not know as much as he expressed in our taping together. And one of the significant things we learned was that his gold medal satisfy him. You know, the scripture talks about that, but it didn't meet the need deep in his heart. And he still had an empty spot that only God could fill. Man, do we hear that story over and over again. And we're going to unfold his story and God's involvement throughout his life as we talk with him today. There are so many twists and turns in his experiences. I think you're going to relate to so much of it and especially the behind the scenes stuff that Scott revealed to us.

[John Fuller]

Yeah, there was a lot of overcoming and what a great conversation with him in front of some FOCUS friends. And now with the 2026 Winter Olympics just underway, we're really excited to feature his story of how he discovered fulfillment beyond his success as a champion figure skater. And Scott Hamilton is in the US Olympic hall of Fame. His story is captured in his book called Finish First. Ask for that when you contact Focus on the Family. Give to the ministry and we'll say thanks by sending the book to you. Ask for it when you contact Focus on the Family. The details are in the program. Not go ahead and hear that great conversation we had with Scott Hamilton on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly.

[Jim Daly]

Scott. Welcome to Focus on the Family.

[Scott Hamilton]

Woo. This is unbelievable. I mean, I listen to you guys all the time and it's just being in your presence right now, it's so disappointing. No, it's surreal. It's just, it's wild because again, I listen to you guys every morning and then to be sitting here with you, it's just. I don't know what to do now.

[Jim Daly]

Well, that's very kind. Thank you so much. Let's go back because I think your story, your life story is incredible. It's in my mind, bigger than a gold medal. Sorry. But it started with a lot of adversity. So describe, I mean, you were adopted?

[Scott Hamilton]

Yeah, I was an oops. I was unintended. You know, it's always that thing with adoption, right? There's always that kind of little bit of a disconnect of was I? I know I was unintended, but was I unwanted? And it's really remarkable that now, all these 65 years later, you know, over the years, I really understood that God is in control and he chose those parents for me. He convicted my birth mother to stay the course and to bring me into the world and to put me up for adoption. And she was brave and wonderful and awesome and I'm going to be grateful. And then I was adopted by two school teach from Northwestern Ohio. And they were the perfect parents for me.

[Jim Daly]

That's amazing. I mean, when you answer that question about being wanted. Being adopted is being wanted.

[Scott Hamilton]

It is being wanted.

[Jim Daly]

That's what's.

[Scott Hamilton]

Well, it's funny cause you know, when I got teased about being adopted, right? They'd come up and go, you were adopted? All this just.

[Jim Daly]

But they're not talking now.

[Scott Hamilton]

No, it's different now. But then it was like my parents always told me they wanted it to be part of my story. And so I, I came home one day and I was like, mom, they're teasing me about being adopted. And she, my mom was at center of my universe. I love my mom so much. She goes, don't worry about them, just say this next time. I go, okay. So sure enough, you know, on the playground at school, and they start teasing me about being adopted. And I go, yeah, okay, Yeah, I was adopted. My parents actually chose me. Your parents got stuck with whatever came out.

[Jim Daly]

That's pretty good.

[Scott Hamilton]

Yeah, it was strong. And so they didn't tease me about being adopted anymore because they realize their parents were stuck with whatever came out.

[Jim Daly]

All right, moving in your childhood, there were many Things that you had to struggle with. Describe some of those challenges you had growing up physically.

[Scott Hamilton]

Yeah, so I was always the smallest kid in my class. I always felt a little different, you know, the shortest. And then pretty soon it became apparent that I wasn't growing or developing properly. And so we started visiting physicians and hospitals, and it became this four year journey. And we went to the biggest hospital with the biggest doctors, and that was Boston Children's Hospital. And there I had every symptom of a disease called Schwachman Diamond Syndrome. It's kind of a celiac disease. And so Dr. Schwachman himself was looking after me. So they'd taken me off dairy and sugar and flour. So, you know, I'm like 4 or 5, 6, 7, 8 years old. Birthday parties were awful. Yeah. Because I couldn't touch.

[Jim Daly]

Here's your slice of cantaloupe.

[Scott Hamilton]

Yeah, exactly. So we were there for a long time, and at the end of it, he just said, I can't. I can't figure this thing out. He doesn't have Swankman diamond syndrome. He's not growing, he's not developing. There's something going on. We can't. We don't have the capacity to. To diagnose it. Go home. And so we went home and he was just hoping and praying that I would maybe outgrow this thing or I'd rise above it. And my parents at that point were shattered physically, emotionally, financially. I mean, they adopted this little boy and they're on teacher salaries and I'm in hospitals for four years. And so they were devastated in every way possible and they couldn't solve my problem, which I think for any parent is that helplessness is just. It's toxic. It's awful. So our family physician came and had a one man intervention. And he said, you need a morning off to recharge your batteries. There's a brand new facility at Bowling Green State University where they teach children how to ice skate from 8 in the morning until noon. It's a great environment. There's hundreds of kids. It's awesome. And my kids do it. We're happy to take them. And you guys can just rest, restore, you know.

[Jim Daly]

This was your family physician?

[Scott Hamilton]

Yeah, he lived three doors down. The spent a lot of time with him.

[Jim Daly]

That was the question. How'd you. How'd you get into ice skating? I figured they were going, okay, it's not gonna be football, it's not gonna be basketball.

[Scott Hamilton]

Basketball, no. So let's try skating. Let's try skating. And I was your doctor yeah. So I got on the ice and I was like everybody else. I was clinging onto the wall and trying to figure it out and. But I was around all these, well, kids and I was really excited to be like and like, I was really used to being with sick kids, but I was trying to try and figure out. And so I'm being on the ice all. I realized after, I guess a couple weeks that I could skate as well as, well kids. And then after a few more weeks, I realized that I could skate as well as the best athletes in my grade. And for the first time in my life, I, I tasted self esteem. Wow. I like, I felt like I wasn't the ist. The worst or the weakest or the smallest or the, you know, the least. I felt like I have an identity in this. I can actually do this and I like it and I'm good at it. And so I just, I became a rink rat. I was there all the time. My parents had to threaten me to get me off the ice.

[Jim Daly]

How old are you at this point?

[Scott Hamilton]

I was nine.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah.

[Scott Hamilton]

Wow.

[Jim Daly]

To keep moving on that. So you were accelerating as a, as a teen? 13, 14.

[Scott Hamilton]

Yeah. But I was kind of like, here's the deal. I was kind of good regionally, you know, not a lot of boys in figure skating, you know, nationally. By the time I finally made it to the nationals on the little boys level, I was awful. Now.

[Jim Daly]

Sounds inspiring.

[Scott Hamilton]

It's very inspiring. No, it was like, I don't know who scheduled that event. To this day I want to slap them like in a place where they'd feel it. But it was like they scheduled the little boys novice event preceding the championship ladies final where Janet Lynn, the most popular woman athlete in the world at that time, was competing in her last nationals. So standing room only 17,500 people. I'd never seen that many people in my life ever. And I was just, I was ill prepared and I didn't know how to do it. So in my three minute program, I rose to the occasion five times. I fell five times in a three minute program. And let me tell you, falling five times in a five minute program is a lot of work. To do it in three minutes had to be a record like it had. And all I kept hearing, oh, the audience. And then finally the fourth fall, it's like, oh, it's like. And then the fifth fall, it's like, come on, you can do it. You can hear the end of your music. And it was, it was humiliating. And it was just like, it was like I'M a loser. I'm last place guy. And then we decided to go up to the junior level because what's the worst thing that can happen? Last place. I own last place. And I made it to the nationals that year, and I. I beat two guys. And they were really embarrassed. Like, can you imagine? It's like, wait a minute. Hamilton beat you? Oh, dude, that's rough. Oh, man, that's. Are you gonna keep skating? It's like it was kind of that, right? You know, because I was the last place guy. And so it was after that year, you know, I trained in Illinois. I'd come home, and my mom, she came. I came home from school, and she came in. She goes, okay, ready? Family meeting. And she had this big smile on her face, and it's like, oh. And she goes, okay, okay. All right. I've just come from the doctor, and I've just been diagnosed with a disease called cancer. And I'm gonna have to have some medicine that may not make you. And she was, like, so upbeat. And cancer was a word you didn't say back then, because there's no hope, right? And she. And she was so happy. And it was like, why? How. What if you're okay, Then I guess. Guess we're gonna be okay. And she said, okay, I need some help after school. I need this. I need this. And she looked at me and she goes, and you missed her? And I said, yes. And she goes, we're broke. We're gonna get you through one more year of skating, and then you're done, and you're gonna graduate high school this year, hopefully. I negotiated my high school diploma, and you're going to go to college next year at Bowling Green because we're both professors, and we can afford free. That's your life. Have a great year. Make it your best year ever. And then next year, life's gonna change.

[Jim Daly]

So. Yeah, but with your mom in that, I mean, how did that go down? I mean, that she was that upbeat? But did you fill in the blanks?

[Scott Hamilton]

Well, no, I was concerned because I just figured, how could she be so upbeat unless she knew something that nobody else knew, right? And she was just the most loving, compassionate, funny lady. And I just worshiped her. I loved her so much. And I got to Nationals, and my mom arrived, and she was wearing a sling because they'd removed her left breast and the inside. All the lymph in her left arm. And then I remember setting up this triple salchow. And I figured, last competition ever, might as well just throw this thing. And normally my view at the end of the. My hardest jump in my program was that of the ceiling. Because that's how I did things. I fell down and I'd see, I'd go, oh, there's the ceiling again. And this time I was looking at the audience and I was skating backwards on my right foot on an outside edge. And I landed the very first triple I'd ever done in competition. And I got so excited that I forgot to mess up my program and I won Junior nationals. So now everybody in the event was embarrassed. And my mom was so upbeat that week because she had met a couple on her way to the nationals who she'd been introduced to by a judge who took interest in my skating. They were wealthy, had no children, loved skating, and they wanted to sponsor me. So the only string attached was that that year I had to move to Denver about the same time my new coach was coaching a girl named Dorothy Hamill to an Olympic gold medal. I won the lottery and it was like, wow. I got a second chance at skating. And my mom was still suffering and she was doing. So the next year I'm on the senior level for the first time. I got to nationals and I came in ninth.

[Jim Daly]

Familiar spot.

[Scott Hamilton]

Yeah. And then I went back home as I always did, and I went to my mom's room in the hospital. My brother and I went. We were there till about 3 o' clock in the morning and I was sleeping on the couch because we had a lot of people there at that time because she was pretty much in, she was in the hospital. And my brother in law at the time woke me up and just said only. He just said four words. Your mother is gone. I've told this story so many times. Gets me every time. And all I could think to say is, I know. And so I went for a walk in the backyard. And I learned about grief in a really powerful way that day because I saw so many people become self destructive in their grief. And I saw that loss destroy families. And I realized that I didn't have to lose her. I could take her with me every single day to the ice and I could be accountable to her. And I could honor every single sacrifice she made for me by being the person skater that she always dreamed I could be.

[Jim Daly]

So that gave you the power, really.

[Scott Hamilton]

The power to move forward. I'm going to be late. Nope. Honor your mom. I'm on time. It's summer. I don't feel like doing a long program run through it's altitude. Honor your mom. Long program run through competition level. Let's go. And that year I just got into. I was in the best shape of my life. I was focused. I was prepared. And that was the year triple Lutz went into the program. That was the year that I started winning against, beating people. I never had any business beating, like, these are the best guys in the country.

[Jim Daly]

Let me talk about your mom a bit more, please, because we kind of go through that. But she must have been an amazing woman.

[Scott Hamilton]

Oh, she was spectacular. She always wore the same clothes because she didn't want to take anything for herself. It all went to her kids, right? So she wore the same thing all the time. And she was a school teacher. She started in second grade, and she taught second grade, and she loved it. So she was amazing. Laughter, laughter, laughter. She was funny. She was loving. She was just. She was the best mom. And so, you know, everybody. Everybody loved my mom. She had a great sense of humor. She never really let anything defeat her, ever. And even during her battle of cancer with cancer, she always found the bright side, always found the best thing that could happen. And she was always very positive, and her attitude showed up in my cancer journey. When I look back, I knew that I was going to survive because the doctor said, you're going to survive. And I just. In my spirit, I knew that there was no way in the world I was going to succumb to this cancer. I just felt it. And so I was preparing for the next. And I wanted my cancer journey to be joyful. And it wasn't always. At times, it was, ugh, right? But I knew that somehow my world was changing, and I knew that I was being moved. I was being moved, and I didn't. At the time, I knew I'm being moved, but I didn't really understand how or who or why I just. I was being moved. And so I got through that. I had a 38 staple surgery I affectionately called filet o Scott. And then once that incision, which was very long, once it healed up enough, I was able to slowly get back on the ice and get back on tour that year.

[Jim Daly]

That's amazing.

[Scott Hamilton]

Yeah, it was. It was really. I learned a lot. And, you know, the pity party was always there. You know, it's like, you don't deserve this. You know, all that. And it's like, no, no. There's something about this that's really important, and I need to pay attention to that.

[Jim Daly]

Well, there's two aspects of this that really come to mind. One is we haven't really gotten to winning a gold medal.

[Scott Hamilton]

No.

[Jim Daly]

And what that meant, I think that there's a little bit of connection with this, because so many people that pursue that kind of lofty goal, it's kind of like the businessman that wants to do that one last deal or that golfer that wants to win that one next tournament. You know, it's just always the next thing. And there is a certain drive in certain people that makes them move in that direction, but once they get there so often, if they're honest about it, it doesn't fill that hole.

[Scott Hamilton]

No, it was really interesting for me, like, after the 80 Olympics, I was fifth, and I thought eighth would have been perfect, and I was fifth. So I'm like, oh, that's great. I'm fifth. This is really cool. Like, I could see the guys on the podium. They're like. They're right there, you know, they're like, you have your autograph.

[Jim Daly]

You are the optimist.

[Scott Hamilton]

So, like, I could see them. I know them. They're my friends. Like, now we're like, oh, I'm fifth. You know, I'm a second. Whatever. And. And then I woke up one morning in the spring, and it just hit me all at once that the Olympic gold medalist, Robin Cousins, turned professional. Jan Hoffman, the silver medalist, went to medical school. Charlie Tickner, the bronze medalist, turned professional. All I had to do is wake up, and I'm ranked second in the world, which is probably easily the best cup of coffee I've ever had in my life. And I had to figure out, how do I get to number one? How do I. I'm glad I'm that close. What do I need to do to win? And I won the long, and I won the world championships. And I'm looking. I'm going, oh, no. Okay, first, if I'm the sports world champion, as last place guy, this is the lowest point in the sports history if I'm its champion, right? It's like, this has got to be horrible for the sport. And I defended the next year, and the sport changed that year. It just flipped. Like, everybody. All the. All the. I was still one, and everybody else had changed places. And I was like, holy cow, wait a minute. All I have to do is figure out how to stay ahead of these guys, and maybe I could win an Olympics. And then it happened, and it's crazy that I still figure that. It's like how I'm the least likely person on the planet to win an Olympic gold medal. No, really. I was sick. I didn't grow. I was the smallest and my weakest. I was this. I was that. I was a loser. I'd fallen all these times. I embarrassed myself. But what I started to figure out was that every single one of those failures was a spectacular learning opportunity. Like, I realized when I started writing. Finish first, you know, because it was Donald Miller's. Great. I love Don Miller.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah, Don Miller.

[Scott Hamilton]

I asked him. I go, I need. I need you to help me with. Come up with an idea. And he goes, I think you should write a book about winning. Because everybody wants to know what it feels like to win an Olympic gold medal. And it's like, oh, I know about. I know how to do that. I can do that. And so it was that whole understanding of. It's like, how many people in this room have failed. Okay, if you don't raise your hand, you're lying. You're not listening, right? And I realized that in that. That failure. If you had to come up with a list of ingredients for failure, it only has one ingredient, and that's information. So we all take our losses, we all take our failures. We put them in a bag and we carry them over our shoulder, and we just. Those are our failures, and we're just going to carry them. And it's so unhealthy to do that because it drags you down and it prevents you from being nimble, it prevents you from being free. It prevents you from being all those things. And when I think about all those failures, right, it just. It all made sense to look at them as information. But as I stepped into faith, I realized that they'd all been taken away anyway. I had no right to hang with him.

[Jim Daly]

Well, and that's the other point. Where were you with the Lord? What was God doing in your life? Was he even on your radar at this point when you're winning the gold?

[Scott Hamilton]

You know, I always believe. When I skated at the Wagon Wheel with Janet, Janet was a beautiful spirit. She just loved the Lord. And everybody in the rink wanted to be like Janet. And they all had their Bibles, and they all. And I tried to read the Bible, and I just. I didn't understand. There was nobody there to help me understand what this was all about. And so I. I remember one day just going for a long walk and just praying, Just praying. I don't. I don't know. I don't know who you are, but I. I believe in you. I just want to. I just. I believe. I don't know what to do. And so that was sort of my stance. I believe, but I Don't know what to do. I believe, but I'm stuck. I believe, but I. And I would pray at certain times, you know? You know, I asked my mom. I'd pray. And when I. When Sergei Grinkov felt went down on the ice, I prayed. When I got cancer, I prayed, and I just. But I didn't know who I was praying to or what I was praying about, But I was convicted. I knew that I was never alone. I knew that the Lord said had something for me. I just didn't know what it was. To the point where that year I came in last in novice nationals. I was walking out of the building and I was thinking, now when they do a movie, a my life story. And I was like, like what? Why would I even think that? Right? And it was just. I never felt alone. I always felt like I was supported. There was something there, but it was without substance. Right.

[John Fuller]

Right.

[Scott Hamilton]

So I get cancer. I go through all the professional years, I do all that, and I'm really just trying to be the best I can be. And I take advantage of each opportunity and be a good steward of what I've been given all those things. And then I get cancer, and I realize it's time to move. You're not doing something that you need to be doing. You're doing things wrong or things aren't the way they should be. There's something that you need to just strip it down and step away. So I got my car and I just started to drive, and I ended up spinning out in the desert near Tucson. And a friend of mine managed a hotel there, so I mooched off him until I found another car. And they found the car. And I go, where is it? And go, la. And I go, oh, okay. And they go, we're going to flatbed it. And I go, how much is that going to cost? They go, a thousand. And I go, how much is a Southwest ticket? And they go, 50. I go, that's a better deal. I'm homeless right now. I didn't really want to go back to Denver. I just felt like I needed to start over. I had a second chance at life. My mom didn't. I needed to start over. And so for the next three years post cancer, I'd just bounce around. I'd work, I'd play a little golf in the summer. I was living my life, but I just felt toxic and not healthy.

[John Fuller]

That's former Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton. He's being so transparent. We have to break into the conversation right here, but we will pick it up next. Time to hear more of his dramatic story. This is Focus on the Family with Jim Daly.

[Jim Daly]

John it's an inspiring story, but we've primarily heard today about his ice skating challenges and losing his mom to cancer. And you know, it's in this deep valley where things begin to turn for him. And it does leave you with the question, what's God going to do next? Some people might be in that spot. And one of the beautiful things about our testimonies is it's a demonstration of what God can do. And if you're in that spot, man, hang on, because next time we're going to come back and talk about how God showed up in Scott's life and begin to put those broken pieces back together. He still faced a lot of challenges, no doubt, but it is amazing to hear. And of course, you and I have the benefit of knowing what's coming. It's amazing to hear just how God intervened on his behalf and really pulled the pieces together. And of course, we want to get this resource to you. If you can make a donation of any amount, we'll send you Scott's book as our way of saying thank you for being part of the ministry and helping another family pull their pieces together.

[John Fuller]

That's well said and the book is great.

[Scott Hamilton]

Finish.

[John Fuller]

First is the title. It'll inspire you. It'll show you how God can work even in some of the darkest circumstances. Call today to donate the ministry and request that book. Our number is 800, the letter A in the word family, 800-232-6459 or you can find details in the show notes. And when you stop by our website, don't miss our incredible sports and Faith audio collection featuring incredible athletes such as John Smoltz, Darrell Waltrip, Benjamin Watson and more. Sign up to download this special collection for free when you get in touch with us. Thanks for listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. I'm John Fuller inviting you back as we continue the conversation with Scott Hamilton and once again help you and your family thrive in Christ.

[Jim Daly]

Live your truth. A lot of people say that, don't they? But truth isn't something we decide. God has decided it for us, and it's our job as believers to share his truth with a world in need. I'll encourage you to do that through my podcast, Refocus with Jim Daly. I visit with fascinating guests about important topics like gender confusion, cancel culture, and more while helping you share God's love with others. [e-mail].