Olympian recited mom’s favorite prayer to finish marathon and win bronze

As the pain kicked in, Molly Seidel's prayers were answered.

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Now that the Olympics are over, the athletes have a little more time to reveal some of the resources that helped push them through their events. Marathon-runner Molly Seidel leaned on a prayer to St. Jude to help get over the finishing line.

Speaking with Today, Seidel explained that in those last few miles she turned to her mom’s go-to prayer to the patron saint of impossible causes, St. Jude. Her mom, who went to the sister school of Notre Dame, had actually found the prayer in the grotto at Notre Dame, where Seidel herself went to university.

“She prays it all of the time, really in times of difficulty or in times of need,” Seidel shared with Today.

So naturally she texted her daughter the prayer so she could also call on the saint to get her through the race.

“With about four miles to go of that race, when I was sitting right around that fourth, third place, and I didn’t know whether or not I was going to medal, it was getting really, really tough. I just started mouthing it to myself and was just hoping and praying that I’d be able to keep pushing through to the finish line and come away with a medal.”

Her prayers paid off. The athlete ended up with an unexpected bronze medal and became the first U.S. marathon runner to gain a medal in the event since 2004, when Deena Kastor came third.

Incredibly this was only the third marathon Seidel had run in her career, so hopefully armed with her faith in God we’ll be seeing more medals for her in the future.

While we don’t know exactly the prayer Seidel recited, here is a popular prayer to St. Jude if you have a few impossible causes you need help with, too.

O Holy St. Jude!
Apostle and Martyr,
great in virtue and rich in miracles,
near kinsman of Jesus Christ,
faithful intercessor for all who invoke you,
special patron in time of need;
to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart,
and humbly beg you,
to whom God has given such great power,
to come to my assistance;
help me now in my urgent need and grant my earnest petition.
I will never forget thy graces and favors you obtain for me
and I will do my utmost to spread devotion to you.
Amen.

St. Jude, pray for us and all who honor thee and invoke thy aid.

Recite 3 Our Fathers, 3 Hail Marys, and 3 Glory Bes