Texas A&M Swimmer is Refocused after AIA Camp

Meagan Hairston is not the same person she was four years ago. A junior at Texas A&M University, Hairston is a common fixture at A&M’s swimming pool, where she has competed since childhood. But the role that swimming plays in her life has undergone a complete turnaround thanks to a new-found faith in Christ.

A native of Plano, Texas, near Dallas, Hairston grew up going to church regularly, but said her exposure was more about knowledge of God than having a relationship with Him personally. Her passion – her life, really – was swimming, though she admits even that did not always provide satisfaction. A dating relationship that ended her freshman year at A&M sent Hairston into a tailspin.

“I was just devastated, and my swimming was getting harder and harder to get into the flow,” admits the biology major who competes in freestyle and backstroke sprints. “I turned to drinking and partying after that, just hanging out with people and not caring about God or anything I learned in my youth.”

Around this time, Jenny Roselius, who serves with her husband, Jim , with Athletes in Action at A&M, had begun meeting with the coach and other members of the swim team in an effort to make connections with the young women. She met with Hairston in November 2010 and they discussed salvation, using the Would You Like to Know God Personally? booklet.

A spiritual rebirth

Hairston remembers the date exactly, because that’s what she considers her spiritual birthday, the day she really put her faith in Christ and began a relationship with God. From that point, Hairston says her life was different. She began attending the swim team’s Bible study, and kept meeting weekly with Roselius to study basic principles of Christian living.

“I realized I had been totally off of God’s path. It hit me hard,” Hairston says. “When Jenny got to the fourth point about accepting God’s grace, it helped me realize it wasn’t about going to church or doing good works but accepting grace. It took me a few days to grasp the concept, but it stayed in my mind.”

The concepts took root and bloomed in Hairston’s life from that point on. She grew in her relationship with Christ, realizing her new identity as a believer did not depend on perfection. And she’s seeing her relationships with family and friends improve as well.

Hairston is taking on leadership roles within AIA at A&M, including serving as emcee for the bimonthly large-group meetings started this semester, called Time Outs. She also helps lead the female swimmers’ Bible study and is meeting with some teammates to talk about faith.

Life changes at camp

While her steady growth has been part of that transformation, Hairston said attending the AIA Ultimate Training Camp this past summer in Colorado was pivotal.

“UTC really kicked me in swimming. It was still an idol for me,” she says. “(The camp) made me realize that swimming can be a big part of my life, but Christ is the motivation for my swimming, and He gave me that talent.

“It really changed who I am as a person and as an athlete. I really want to share this with my teammates.”

The 24-hour SPECIAL event at training camp was especially meaningful to Hairston, who said she finally got a glimpse of what Jesus went through on the cross and had to rely fully on strength from God to complete the grueling finale.

“It really put a passion burning in me. I wanted to know more about God, how I could please Him and how to love others the way He wants me to love them,” she says. “I want to share with others now too and am being trained to do that.”

For Roselius, Hairston’s growth is evidence of God’s work on the campus as a whole. While AIA has had a presence on the swim team for several years now, she is now seeing things begin to take shape spiritually.

“We started a swim team Bible study in January with a few strong believers who want to reach out to their team,” she says. “It has really grown so far.”

Roselius said three swimmers have placed their faith in Christ from the team and she expects more to follow.

By Teresa Young, AIA Communications

Photo: Meagan Hairston competes in the backstroke for Texas A&M (photo courtesy Texas A&M University).

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