Kim Washburn - Defender of Faith: The Mike Fisher Story

A Special Note

Thank youfor readingDefender of Faith. I hope youre encouraged and inspired by this book to live out your journey with God front and center and enjoy all he has to offer. My prayer is that you will be courageous along the way and become the person God created you to be as you trust in his perfect plan for your life. Enjoy the ride!

Mike Fisher

Other Books in the Zonderkidz Biography Series:

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

Toward the Goal: The Kak Story

Beyond the Music: The Bono Story

Defending the Line: The David Luiz Story

Linspired: The Jeremy Lin Story

The Admiral: The David Robinson Story

Defender of Faith: The Mike Fisher Story

Man on a Mission: The David Hilmers Story

Prophet with Honor: The Billy Graham Story

Gift of Peace: The Jimmy Carter Story

Driven by Faith: The Trevor Bayne Story

Speed to Glory: The Cullen Jones Story

Reaching New Heights: The Kelly Clark Story

Heart of a Champion: The Dominique Dawes Story

Other Zondervan Biographies:

Game Changer

by Kirk Cousins

Through My Eyes: A Quarterbacks Journey

by Tim Tebow with Nathan Whitaker

Grace, Gold & Glory: My Leap of Faith

by Gabrielle Douglas with Michelle Burford

ZONDERKIDZ

Defender of Faith, Revised Edition: The Mike Fisher Story

Copyright 2011, 2014 by Kim Washburn

ePub Edition May 2014: ISBN 978-0-310-74717-8

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zonderkidz, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Washburn, Kim, 1970

Defender of faith : the Mike Fisher story / Kim Washburn. Revised Edition.

pages cm (ZonderKidz biography)

Audience: Age: 8-12.

ISBN 978-0-310-73834-3 (softcover) ISBN 978-0-310-74717-8 (epub)

1. Fisher, Mike, 1980 Juvenile literature. 2. Hockey playersCanadaBiographyJuvenile literature. 3. Christian athletesUnited StatesBiographyJuvenile literature. 4. Christian athletesReligious life. I. Title.

GV848.5.F5W37 2014

796.962092dc23

[B]

2014013889

Scripture quotations are taken from TheHoly Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois. All rights reserved.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Zonderkidz is a trademark of Zondervan.

Art direction: Ben Fetterley

Cover design: Kris Nelson and Mark Veldheer

Cover photo: John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images

Back cover photos: Photo in Nashville jersey: Frederick Breedon/Getty Images;

Photo as child and with girls: Photo provided by Jim and Karen Fisher; Mike Fisher
and Carrie Underwood: Larry Busacca/Getty images for NARAS

Interior design and composition: Greg Johnson/Textbook Perfect

For my Jakeb and my parents

Table of Contents

March 16, 2006

Hockey is many things. Wimpy is not one of them.

In early 2006, the Ottawa Senators were charging toward the playoffs. They were the highest-scoring team in the National Hockey League (NHL) with nearly four goals per game. By the middle of March, the Senators had won eight of their last nine games. And veteran Mike Fisher had scored and scrapped all season to help his team become a favorite to win the Stanley Cup.

On March 16, the Senators were in Boston, down a goal and down a man on the penalty kill. Fisher intercepted the puck and carried it the length of the ice, driving to the net.

A Bruin defenseman picked him up on the wing, cutting off the angle to the net. Together they skidded by the goal line. Mikes right leg got caught for a split second and bent as he fell to the ice. With his leg folded behind him, he slid into the end boards. When he hit the wall, his body tensed as his twisted ankle took the brunt of the force.

Grimacing, Mike got to his knees, stood up slowly, and tried to skate. But his ankle couldnt take the weight. He knelt on the ice, his face stressed in pain.

The announcer calling the game knew it was bad news. One thing you know about Mike Fisher is hes not going to lay around the ice, he said, watching the trainer come out to help with the injury. Hed get himself off. He had to be in some kind of pain... That is one guy you can not afford to lose at this time of the season.

Ottawa Sun hockey writer Bruce Garrioch wrote, I nearly cried when I saw Fisher go down.

He wasnt the only one.

SensNation red-wearing, towel-waving fans of the team loved the gritty, hardworking passion of number twelve. His teammates needed his aggressive speed on both ends of the ice. And for Mike, the only thing more painful than playing the postseason on a broken ankle would be missing it altogether.

Mike had to be helped off the ice and back into the training room. It would have been easy to cave to all the bad news the sharp pain of the ankle, a long injury that could keep him from playing for the Cup, the ache of watching the ultimate competition from the sidelines. Mike glanced at the game clock on the wall and tried to hold on to something encouraging.

Fisher drives past Brad Stuart (#6) of the Boston Bruins.

Ticking down the seconds of the game, the digital clock on the wall paused for a stoppage of play with twelve minutes, twelve seconds left in the game.

12:12. Mike did a double take. Right away I thought Romans 12:12: Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful.

With a deep breath, Mike refocused but not on his circumstances and injury. Instead, he focused on the promise of his faith. After all, he was more than a hockey player. He was first a follower of God. Here in a lonely training room on the road, Mikes faithful God

And they did. To the amazement of everyone who winced at the replay and squinted at the slow motion footage, Mikes ankle wasnt broken. I got back in less than three weeks, which was surprising to me, he admitted.

After fifteen years in professional sports, Mike knows as well as anyone that pressures and distractions can come as fast as slap shots. So how does somebody maintain focus on whats truly important in the middle of tough circumstances slumps, criticism, contracts, expectations, injuries, ego, media... ?

Mikes unwavering focus stems from his faith in God. Planted first by his family, his faith grew into the stabilizing force in his life. But it didnt happen overnight. Cultivating strength of character and conviction when surroundings are unpredictable takes serious training and practice. And Mike has had plenty.

After all, hockey is many things. But wimpy isnt one of them.