J’Den Cox is a three-time NCAA Division 1 wrestling champion. On top of that, he is also an Olympic bronze medalist and he won 4 state titles during high school.
And in 2018 and 2019, he won gold medals in World Championships. Also, a bronze medal in 2017. These are just some of the many awards he had gained in his sport.
Wikimedia | Commons/Ilgar Jafarov
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Breaking Point
When J’Den was still in his freshman year at the University of Missouri, he struggled greatly. And he even came to the point of ending his own life.
One day while wondering and overthinking about the demons from his past, he found himself on the edge of a highway. J’Den considered ending it all in that certain place. However, it didn’t happen. Perhaps, God has His creative way of intervening because right at that moment, he received a phone call. That call from his coaches stopped him from what he’s about to do.
Several years later, J’Den has greatly improved. He no longer hides his past struggles.
Opening Up
“For a long time, I was ashamed to talk about it because people struggle to show empathy for things they can’t see and understand,” he said regarding his past emotional struggles. “I was afraid to ask for help, and I think that’s something I try to preach now.”
Apparently, J’Den worked on his mental health. He asked God for help and went to therapy too. But all the while in doing this, he never left the wrestling mat.
“God, for me, was a routine. It was something that I did every week. Somewhere I went every Wednesday” he said about his relationship with Jesus. “I never really fully committed to him, and I never really gave my all to him.”
But later on, after changing his mindset on his relationship with Jesus, J’Den’s life changed. And he said he has continued to improve as well.
A New Life
“It’s not perfect, it’s not like I don’t have my days where it’s a struggle,” he said about his life today. “But I’m definitely in a better place than I was my freshman year.”
J’Den Cox also admitted that sometimes he had a hard time keeping the proper perspective off the mat. And keeping his faith at the center of his life. But still, he is persisting.
The 2016 Olympian and reigning World Champion are about to compete against another Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time World Champion, Kyle Snyder. Although J’Den and Kyle have been rivals on the mat, the two have also sharpened one another in their individual walks with Jesus.
Both will compete for the 2020 Olympic team, but only one will be able to make it.
Source: The Christian Post
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