Manny Pacquiao – the spiritual foundation of his life

1. Manny's biography
2. Training and diet of the champion
3. The spiritual foundation of an athlete's life

Manny Pacquiao is among the boxers whose names are forever inscribed in the history of this sport. During his career, he won dozens of fights, most of which were by knockout, which is why the authoritative magazine «The Ring» awarded him the title of best boxer in the world regardless of weight class. Bright and dramatic victories brought Pacquiao worldwide fame and huge fees that he could only dream of when he grew up in a poor, large Filipino family.

However, as is the case with many other athletes, big money became a big problem for Manny Pacquiao. After all, money must not only be earned but also managed properly. Unfortunately, history knows many cases where good earnings became a reason for talented athletes to indulge in alcohol, drugs, gambling, and other destructive things. These temptations did not bypass the Filipino champion, whose mother dreamed of him becoming a priest. «On Sundays, I went to church, but from Monday to Saturday I drank in bars, played in casinos, cheated on my wife. I didn't care about anything» — the boxer characterizes his past life.

During that period of his life, Pacquiao became so immersed in his dangerous hobbies that he even forgot that his siblings depended on him financially for many years.

He later told journalists what this led to: "I remember receiving a letter from my mother, where she wrote that my sister had dropped out of school because I hadn't sent them money. And I cried, blaming myself for spending all the money on alcohol."

Yes, Manny Pacquiao was not the first or the last successful person to face the test of fame and money. However, they did not destroy his life thanks to a special event that happened to him the night after his victory over Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez (there were a total of 4 fights between Manny and Marquez, with 2 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw).

A Special Dream

That day he had a dream that Manny would never forget. Here's how he personally described its content:

"I saw that I was in a beautiful place that doesn't exist here on Earth. The trees there were very tall and beautiful, there were many flowers around and the sound of water could be heard. Then, I saw a beam of light coming from the sun, I wanted to look up, but I couldn't because my head was bowed, and I started to cry. Suddenly, I heard a voice that was 100 times louder than thunder and penetrated everywhere: into the bones, into the muscles. This voice said to me: 'My son, why do you reject me?'. I continued to cry and cry, and when I raised my eyes, the beam of light had already disappeared, and I said: 'Lord, forgive me'. After that, I woke up and realized that it was He who spoke to me. His voice was extraordinary, and I felt it. Then I touched the pillow and it was wet because I had cried so much. That's why when I started reading the Bible I understood that sometimes the Lord communicates with people through their dreams, and my dream was also true. I realized that I needed to change myself. Of course, God knows that there is a deep faith in Him in my heart, but I still do bad things that He does not approve of. Maybe it's time to thank Him for all the blessings he gives me."

Since then, the champion's life has completely changed – he repented of his sins and decided to renew his faith in God. His main weapon against temptations became the daily study of the Bible, the verses of which he memorizes to have a firm foundation in his life. Soon, destructive habits were left behind, and Manny himself began to spend more time with his family. In early 2012, the athlete became a ambassador of the Bible from the Assembly of Catholic Priests of the Philippines and uses every opportunity to promote Christian values and tell people the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Manny believes that God uses him and other famous Christian athletes to speak to people about Him. "Now is the time to spread His Word. People... listen to us and believe us," says Pacquiao.

"Being a Christian means accepting Christ as your Savior, your God. That's why you are called a Christian. If you take away the word Christ, you are left with 'ian' which means “I am nothing"” – this is how famous champion Manny Pacquiao describes the importance of spiritual foundations and salvation in his life.

They say that to learn how to win in any area of life, you need to have great perseverance and a champion character. But there's something else without which even loud victories and big money can become just a reason for many problems. A person must have a spiritual foundation in their life that will help them get through difficulties and temptations. Everyone should have such a foundation, as all people face similar things, regardless of who they are. Manny Pacquiao, like millions of other people in the world, has found this unshakable spiritual foundation in Jesus Christ.