Twelve-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte was baptized last week and has publicly rededicated his life to Jesus amid a divorce and months after entering substance abuse rehabilitation.
“I love sharing my life with my fans and followers. In this season of growing, I have learned that the only thing that truly matters is what God thinks of me,” the 41-year-old athlete wrote in a Nov. 2 Instagram post. “I made the decision to rededicate my life to Jesus and today I was baptized!”
“My heart is full of so much love and happiness and I’m just so thankful for everything God is doing and going to do in my life,” he added. “Thank you for all those who have loved and supported me throughout my life, you mean so much to me!”
The post, which tagged Canvas Church in Alachua, Florida, included a video of the baptism and photos of Lochte with his girlfriend, Molly Gillihan, and their children.
Under his baptism post, several public figures offered words of support, including Christian singer Cory Asbury, who commented, “Incredible, brother!! God is good!!”
Lochte is the second most-decorated male Olympic swimmer in history, behind Michael Phelps: six of his 12 Olympic medals are gold, and he has also earned numerous honors in other international competitions.
The Olympian has been the subject of negative headlines over the years, including his 10-month misconduct suspension from the US Olympic Committee and USA Swimming in 2016 and a 14-month suspension for a doping violation in 2018.
In an August Instagram post, Lochte shared a “positive life update” revealing he had hit 54 days of sobriety. He said he had fallen into a “really dark place” after a 2023 car accident that left him seriously injured.
“I went through depression, loneliness and wanted to give up on life,” he said, describing the crash as a “near-death experience.”
In a later podcast interview, Lochte said the incident deepened his faith. “God was watching me, and he was like, ‘It’s not your time,'” he said. He credited a recovery program for helping him regain his footing.
In June, Lochte’s wife, Kayla Rae Reid, announced she is filing for divorce after what she called a period of “deep prayer and reflection.”
“I hold marriage in the highest regard, so this has been one of the most painful, revealing and challenging seasons of my life,” Reid wrote on Instagram on June 4. “I believe God is still at work — even in the breaking, even in the unknown. I choose to believe that new growth can emerge from broken ground.”
In a September court filing, Reid alleged that the U.S. Olympian used drugs in front of their young children prior to the divorce.
“Shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the children because [Ryan] has a history of substance abuse and, upon information and belief, he is still abusing illegal controlled substances,” Lochte’s estranged wife wrote in the court filing, according to People.
Lochte’s baptism comes amid a wave of athletes, entertainers and public figures using their platforms to share their spiritual transformations.
In May, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson said he experienced “one of the most powerful and meaningful moments” of his life after being baptized.
In December, Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington was baptized at a church in New York City and received his ministry license — an event he revealed was prophesied decades ago.
Comedian Matt Rife said he recently got baptized in a pool following the death of his grandfather, and said that even though he “hates” church, he wants to believe in God.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
