I Came, I Saw, I Conquered

AT FIRST, THESE WORDS SOUND LIKE A DECLARATION OF DOMINATION. But I have learned that conquering is not about victory over another person; it’s about growth, stepping into the unknown, and allowing every experience to help shape who we are.

I CAME to the United States from Zambia at 13 years old. Crossing the ocean to a foreign land was scary, but deep in my heart, I knew this journey would change my life forever. And boy, did it.

Attending Christian Science camp and then Principia Upper School and College was more than an experience; it was a transformation that revealed strengths I never knew I had.

I missed my family terribly and felt isolated at first, but I realized I had to decide whether to remain trapped in a pity party or adapt and grow. In those moments, I turned to the Bible: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

I had to trust that my circumstances would work for me, not against me. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy writes, “Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds”
(p. 1:11).

I SAW that sometimes the greatest growth begins the moment we leave behind what feels comfortable. I came here as a young girl from Zambia, stepping into the unfamiliar and unsure of where I belonged. But every challenge and lesson were preparing me to finally realize my potential. Soon, life would place me on one of the biggest stages in the world—and there I would discover what it truly meant to conquer.

I CONQUERED my dream of competing in the Olympics in 1992, when I was a junior at Principia College. I was the first woman ever to represent Zambia in track and field at the Olympics, even being chosen to carry the Zambian flag during the opening ceremony.

Just two days before my first race, I woke up in excruciating pain. I had been struggling with shin splints, and I could not put weight on my feet. I was overwhelmed and scared; here I was at the Olympics to run and represent my country, but that was looking unlikely. 

I called a Christian Science practitioner. She listened, reassured me, and prayed with me. I remember her reading the scientific statement of being from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:  

“There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all ... Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual” (p. 468:9).

And this from Hebrews 12:1: “... let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”  

I fell asleep, and when l woke up, I was healed. I never experienced shin splints again, even four years later when I competed in the 1996 Olympic Games.

Principia taught me discipline, resilience, leadership, and the courage to step into unfamiliar spaces. The Olympics expanded that vision, showing me what was possible when preparation meets opportunity, and faith is stronger than fear. I learned that perseverance is not a moment but a lifestyle.

Graduates, your race is just beginning. Your hills may look different from mine, but the courage, faith, and perseverance required will be the same. We all have moments when the climb feels too steep. But if we dig deep and trust that we will have everything we need, we will rise boldly and walk courageously—we will conquer—knowing our greatest victories are still ahead.