Anders Johnson of Vancouver, British Columbia, a student pursuing his B.S. in Theology: Apologetics through Liberty University Online Programs, competed for Canada in the 500- and 1,000-meter men’s speedskating events at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
The 28-year-old clinched one of seven spots on the team in early January.
“It is such a privilege and an honor to be the athlete on the line representing your country at the Winter Games and to feel your whole country behind you,” Johnson said after the team was officially announced. “My goal is to give God glory and to represent Him as a faithful witness.”
Heading into the Games, Johnson was ranked No. 26 in the world in the 500 and No. 23 in the 1,000; at the Olympics, he placed 16th in the 500 and 22nd in the 1,000.
Johnson has been an ambassador for Christ in his sport. He started a Bible study with American and Norwegian skaters on the World Cup circuit.
Although he said his training can be physically and mentally exhausting, Johnson maintains his focus by staying plugged into his church family at Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel in Calgary, leading Wednesday night worship on occasion. He has been taking courses in between his training and competitions.
“I grew up in a really solid Christian home with good Bible teaching, so to continue on with my learning through Liberty University and to focus in on apologetics has been a blessing,” he said. “Sharing the Gospel through Christian apologetics is where my heart lies.”
He said his understanding of how to lead others to faith in Christ has become clearer since enrolling with Liberty.
“Originally, I thought of apologetics as a classical debate. Now, I see that it is really more about taking a position where you are trying to answer the question of where your hope comes from, with the goal not to win an argument but to win a soul for Christ. It is important as a believer to really know what you believe and why you believe it, to study to show yourself approved unto God. The goal of apologetics is to remove roadblocks that the enemy may use, (like) ‘This is why I can’t believe the Bible,’ or ‘This is why God’s Word isn’t true,’ to bring them to Christ.”
He has enjoyed being able to talk directly with faculty members and complete classwork around his training schedule. He plans to graduate in 2027.
“As a homeschooler growing up, I am used to doing online learning and finding that balance between classes and activities. I wish I could be down on site at the university (campus) itself, and maybe the Lord would work that out in the future. My goal is to finish out that degree and use that to go into full-time ministry after my competitive speedskating career is done.”
(Photo by Greg Kolz/Speed Skating Canada)
