The Olympics’ shift in spirituality
The Olympics have strayed away from its original purpose of worshiping Gods
The Olympics are a place for the world’s best athletes to be recognized globally, and to compete against the best opponents.
But thousands of years ago, the international competition was meant to worship Greek Gods. Participants would look to honour the deities through boundary-pushing athletic feats and beautifully sculpted bodies.
According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympics were originally located at Olympia, the centre of worship for Zeus, the king of the Greek Gods. Olympia was a sacred place that often hosted religious ceremonies and the Olympics themselves, which according to experts were a religious festival in the beginning.
How the Olympics began
The origins of the games are debated, but the IOC upholds three main theories—the oldest of which centres around Idaios Daktylos Herakles. Kathleen MacDonald, a classics professor at Concordia University, explained that this theory involves Herakles and his four brothers, collectively known as the Daktyloi. They were entrusted with protecting baby Zeus from his father, Cronus.
“They were said to be the first to race at the site of Olympia,” MacDonald explained.
The Daktyloi crowned victors with a “wreath of wild olive.”
The second theory begins with a fight between Cronus and Zeus for the throne of the Gods, which Zeus eventually won. MacDonald pointed out that this theory came from an ancient geographer named Pausanias.
“To celebrate [Zeus’s] victory, he held these games,” MacDonald said, “and other deities like Apollo, Hermes and Ares participated.”
The third and most widely accepted theory, according to MacDonald, involves Herakles, son of Zeus, who performed the 12 labours. One of these labours was to clean King Aegeus’s stables. MacDonald explained that Herakles went on to complete his twelve labours, but returned to King Aegeus and killed him and all of his sons.
“To celebrate his victory, [Herakles] established the Olympic Games in honour of his father and raised six altars to the 12 gods,” MacDonald said.
MacDonald highlighted the importance of worship at the Olympics, and its origin as an event dedicated to the Gods, with a huge temple dedicated to Zeus.
“The whole site was sacred to Zeus,” MacDonald said. “He had a huge temple there, a very important temple, a very lavishly decorated temple.”
A change in spirituality
Boxing was one of the original sports featured in the ancient Olympic Games.
Herby Whyne, owner and head coach at boxing gym Hard Knox in Montreal, believes there were upsides to the Olympics as an event of worship.
“[The Olympics] should’ve kept that tradition,” Whyne said. “It could’ve also been a peaceful gathering, where we come together as whatever spirituality or religion you are, and we all play together [in the name of] faith.”
To him, the Olympics have become the “prestige accomplishment” of an athlete. The old importance of worshipping the Gods has been lost—but what has been found is the dream of international recognition for one’s abilities.
“What pushes athletes to better themselves? A dream,” Whyne said.
Faith has not been completely lost, though; it simply has shifted. Whyne said many boxers do have faith—with some sports legends like Muhammad Ali and Manny Pacquiao having been open about their experiences with Islam and Christianity respectively.
Boxing is not the only martial art that has ties to spirituality. Shaolin kung fu is another. While Shaolin kung fu is the most famous form of kung fu, another form of kung fu, Wushu, will be tested in the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games to be included in future Olympic programmes.
Olivier Raymond, a Shaolin kung fu instructor at the school of Shaolin Wing Chun Nam Anh Kung Fu, explained that the ultimate goal of his school is to reach the white belt, which is mastery of the spirit. Unlike other martial arts where the black belt is the last goal, at this school, the black belt is achieved first, and the ultimate goal is to achieve the white belt.
On the other hand, the black belt represents physical mastery and includes three levels. The second belt of three is red and represents energy, which has nine levels. Raymond is presently at the fourth level of the red belt.
“We descend directly from Bodhidharma, the founder of Shaolin kung fu, who is also the founder of Zen Buddhism,” Raymond said.
Raymond explains that compassion is one of the fundamental values of Buddhism. To him, Shaolin kung fu remains a spiritual journey.
“We have the image of the angel and the demon sitting on each shoulder,” Raymond said. “We call that the lazy one and the master. The lazy one says, ‘I’m tired, I want to go home.’ The goal is to surmount that voice, to conquer one’s weaknesses and go further. That’s an integral part of our spirituality.”
Raymond understands that his training comes down a line of ancestors who have trained before him and passed down the teachings. Raymond‘s school even has shrines dedicated to the ancestors, in the same way that Olympia has altars for the Gods.