Anticipating an opportunity to strengthen the rising generation throughout France with the Olympic Games coming to Paris, the French leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints knew that they had to act fast. So, the leaders submitted a plan to the European Central Area to organize a committee of many stalwart members throughout France to provide faith-filled opportunities to highlight the accomplishments of the LDS athletes.
The committee communicates with LDS athletes to offer assistance to locate church buildings, and schedule devotionals where athletes can speak to the youth and young adults in Paris. They will also spearhead community and interfaith efforts during the Games.
The Daily Universe will cover several stories on the members of this committee and their legacies of faith. The first member is Karen Bybee, a past-president of BYU’s alumni association. She brings her experience handling logistics for many major sporting events, most notably the 1994 World Cup hosted by the US.
One of Bybee’s early responsibilities in that 6-years capacity was to attend the Italy World Cup in 1990 to take note on how the US could manage its hosting. She used her Italian, learned on her mission to Catania, Italy, and her communication skills learned at BYU. “Along the way, I became initiated in international sport,” said Bybee.
After the tournament ended, Bybee advanced her career with numerous projects, including soccer World Cups, Summer and Winter Olympic Games, and other championship sporting events over the next 30 years. She worked as an independent contractor so she could balance her schedule as she raised her family.
Working in the sports and corporate world, Bybee stayed true to her faith and felt respected by her peers. “[The gospel] is at the core of everything that I do,” Bybee said. It’s everything I am as a covenant-keeping daughter of God. I’ve always felt that I could live my standards and be a competent member of any team.”
Karen Bybee and her husband Jeff Holdaway currently serve as senior missionaries in Geneva, Switzerland working with the United Nations to build bonds with country diplomats and leaders for the Church. They have been on the committee since February, and when the most recent Human Rights Council session ended, they were able to more fully commit to help.
Living 340 miles from Paris initially made it difficult for the couple to fully contribute to some location-specific discussions, so they made a site visit to the French capital. They visited many fan zones, stadiums under construction, and church buildings where members meet on Sundays. Oriented to the city and the Church’s needs during the event, they were better equipped to support the committee.
“We felt we needed to know where each event and chapel was, and what they looked like, so we could understand the committee decisions,” said Bybee.
(R) The Place de La Concorde arena under construction. (L) The beac volleyball stadium at the base of the Eiffel Tower under construction. Photos courtesy of Karen Bybee.
As more LDS athletes qualify, the couple serves as liaisons between the coaches, and the Church’s committee. They bridge the time gaps via emails and conference calls. The conversations include planning for ways athletes can attend church on Sunday and invitations to speak at devotionals to the youth, whether in-person or virtually. If athletes can attend, the couple eagerly works with their involvement in one of three devotionals.
“We know [the athlete’s] focus has to be on their competition, but we want to know if they can participate and share their messages of faith,” said Bybee.
With another Olympics potentially coming to the French Alps in 2030 and Salt Lake City in 2034, the Church can use lessons from this year to craft effective communication strategies at future games. The Church can get a clearer example of how to manage an Olympics, and how to capitalize on athlete’s testimonies to inspire spiritual growth worldwide.
“The main question is how can we showcase and highlight our LDS athlete’s throughout the world,” said Bybee. “How can we use their stories to strengthen and inspire others? It’s a bit of an experiment to see the long-range lens.”
With the Olympics less than a week away, Bybee anticipates that the committee’s efforts will leave lasting spiritual impacts that will be felt for years to come.
