I LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE EXCEL. It encourages me. It shows what is possible to achieve in life through singular effort, discipline, and training.

Grace. Skill. Teamwork. Perseverance. Good sportsmanship. These are the hallmarks of a good athlete — whether an elementary school soccer player, an Olympic diver, or something in between — which can inspire us all to feel capable of moving beyond our own present level of achievement in whatever we are engaged. It's especially inspiring to see an athlete break out of the bonds of physical limitation — something everyone battles with in some way.

What about the practice, though, of enhancing physical strength and performance through steroids or amphetamines? Or, consider the possibility that in the near future "an athlete could be injected with the DNA of an animal . . . and quickly become much faster and stronger," making "training seem trivial and more than obsolete" ("Will gene-altered athletes kill sport?" The Christian Science Monitor, August 23,2004, pp. 12, 13). Such shortcuts to victory would diminish the role of noble character traits in reaching high achievement. And were these traits to be benched, we would all be losers.

During and since the Summer Olympics this year, and especially after reading that Monitor article on gene modification, I've been praying for answers to the apparent dichotomy between humanity's search for improved physical strength and the development of character.

One day, Sam, a friend who goes to my church, told me about a high school football experience he'd had that gave direction and hope to my search. During play, Sam suffered a disabling shoulder injury that not only took him out of the game, but also threatened to sideline him from further participation in sports. Being a Christian Scientist, he chose to seek healing through reliance on prayer, rather than through medical treatment.

Each day, while his team practiced, Sam spent those same hours studying the Bible and Science and Health. His quest? To gain a better understanding of his Creator and of the spiritual identity he has as the child of this good God. The result? Within two weeks, Sam was back in active play on the football field. A strengthened conviction of his spiritual wholeness had resulted in a strong and supple shoulder.

Five things stand out to me about what the power of Spirit did for Sam:

• It strengthened his character.

• It improved his body.

• It accomplished these things simultaneously.

• It brought lasting benefits. Sam's lifetime path of relying on Spirit, rather than on the material, has resulted in consistent physical fitness and active involvement in sports — as well as in the development of a sterling character.

• It has made him a loving and loved mentor of young people.

Understanding and embracing the concepts of a spiritual identity serves as a model for thought and action. This identity is real for every person. Like the Creator — the one perfect and unalterable infinite Spirit, God — one's spiritual identity is perfect and unalterable. It needs no improvement. It cannot ever be injured or disabled. However, acquaintance with this unalterable spiritual identity unquestionably improves both body and character.

A passage in Science and Health indicates what's at work here: "Consciousness constructs a better body when faith in matter has been conquered. Correct material belief by spiritual understanding, and Spirit will form you anew" (p. 425). In my own life, I have had many proofs of these statements. And I think the role of Spirit in the future of life, and of sports, is promising indeed. Here's a level playing field on which everyone can play, and be a winner.