Francesca Popescu on her faith

When it comes to athletes, people often believe they always have everything under control, but the truth is that being an athlete at any level is stressful. You may have to balance school and workouts, or even a family and workouts. Today, we talked with a special young woman who doesn’t rely on her sport to define her, but instead leans on her faith and her relationship with Jesus.

Francesca is a defensive specialist/libero for the California Golden Bears. As a freshman, she had an impressive year with the team. She started in nine games and ranked second on the team in digs, finishing with a total of 268, 14 of which came from her career-best performance against Vanderbilt on September 10th.

We had an amazing opportunity to reach out to Francesca and have a conversation with her about her faith. We asked her how her faith plays a role on and off the court, and she replied:

“My faith keeps me anchored and reminds me how my worth is defined in my identity as a child of God. Without God, none of my dreams and goals would be possible. I praise Him for allowing me to chase my dreams each day while playing to glorify God. Every time I step on the court, I know I’m playing for a greater purpose: to glorify Him and play for an audience of one. Walking through life, it is so calming knowing that God has my best interests in mind and the best plan for me. I try to let the way I live and love the people around me showcase just how good Jesus is, because sometimes your life is the only glimpse of Jesus that someone will ever see.”

Francesca strives to be a light not only on the court, but also in her everyday life—with her family, friends, fans, and even people she’s never met—to share a light that some may never otherwise see. Keep it up, Francesca! You have many cheering for you on and off the court.