Creed Haymond's Divine Assistance in Winning a Track Race

Creed Haymond, a Latter-day Saint student at Pennsylvania University, faced pressure from his coach to break his Word of Wisdom principles by drinking champagne before a track meet to gain an advantage. He refused, and in his perplexity, prayed to his Father in Heaven for strength. During the 100-yard dash, his start was hindered by holes left by a previous runner, leaving him far behind. However, in the final 50 yards, he felt as if he flew, winning the race. He then won the 220-yard dash and tied the world record under unfavorable conditions, proving his faithfulness to his principles.

In his own retelling of the event, Creed Haymond clarifies that the initial pledge to follow the Word of Wisdom was made at age eight in 1903 after hearing Elder Reed Smoot speak at a stake conference in Provo, followed by a formal covenant made with his twin sister and Joseph J. Cannon on the front porch of his home. Regarding the race, Haymond specifies that the 1919 event was the IC4A Championships held in Boston, and that his coach, Lawson Robertson, attempted to get him to drink sherry wine on the night before the finals. Haymond notes that other team members fell ill after potentially consuming the wine, whereas he felt refreshed after his prayer. He also clarifies that the 100-yard dash final involved a race against Carl Johnson from Michigan, and his starting hole collapsed, leaving him roughly three yards behind at the start.