When it comes to food, I’m amazed at how many times I’ll think I’ll be eating the right thing, only to find out I’m wrong. Eggs are bad—no, eggs are good. Butter is bad—no, butter is better. Fat is bad—no, the right fats are good. And on and on it goes.

Sometimes we can get by with this and not suffer any major consequences, but often not getting it right can have serious side-effects.

Growing up in Morgantown, W.Va., Ahna Lewis looked up to the athletes at West Virginia University and dreamed of being a Mountaineer herself one day. Now that her dream is a reality, this redshirt-senior cross-country runner remembers the impact those former athletes had on her, and she embraces her opportunity to influence others. But, for Lewis, it’s about more than just making a positive difference; it’s about making an impact for Christ.

The moment arrives in chaos.

Electricity saturates the atmosphere, as if the air itself is a conduit of high voltage. The crowd noise starts to swell like a massive breaker off the coast, cresting with awe-inspiring force. Indeed, the fate of the free world seems to hinge on what happens next. At least, that’s how it feels when the score is tied, a base hit would drive in two, and the screams of 37,000 fans are echoing off every green-hued corner of baseball’s oldest cathedral.

He didn’t even know what he’d said. He hadn’t prepared for it, and, truthfully, the whole thing was just a blur. He’d had enough on his plate at the moment without trying to recall what he’d said in front of the cameras.

As University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy sat in his hotel room after losing to Alabama in the Jan. 7, 2010, BCS National Championship game, he thought long and hard about what had happened. The loss itself was painful enough, but it was just one battle he was fighting inside. The other was why he’d not even had the chance to compete in the game.