College: Gonzaga University Year: Sophomore Height: 5-7 Position: Guard Hometown: Wahiawa, Hawaii
Trivia: Lorenzo currently serves as president of FCA at Gonzaga.
On being the president of Gonzaga's FCA... "In high school I was a part of Youth for Christ. I never knew about FCA until a teammate mentioned it during practice. It was just five or six athletes who would meet once a week for an hour in fellowship. I thought it was amazing that there were other athletes who loved Christ the way that I did.
"Because our FCA at Gonzaga is small in size and our leaders were graduating, I was asked, along with a few others, to be a part of a core that would keep FCA alive and running. I jumped right in. As a leader, I knew I'd be able to help the fellowship with growth and innovation. It has been tough trying to get more athletes to come check us out. There is also the challenge of deciding what topics or events we should partake in as a group. Since we are all college athletes, it’s been hard trying to find times that work for everyone."
On overcoming challenges since she came to Gonzaga... "In my first year at Gonzaga, I earned a spot as a starting guard. I was faster, stronger and quicker than ever. I don't see how it could get any better than that.
"For Thanksgiving, we were playing in Hawaii, and for the first time I'd be in front of my family and friends as a Gonzaga Bulldog. Three minutes into our first game of the tournament, I tore my ACL and meniscus. I was devastated. How could this happen to me? Why me? Why now? I was at the top of my game.
"Ultimately, I knew it was a part of God's plan for me. I knew there was nothing else I could do except put my trust in God. I went through rehab knowing that every day I was preparing and developing myself to be a soldier of God. It’s not about me; it’s about God. I got lost in the hype of my success and forgot who I played for and why I played. I believe God brought me back."
On a Scripture that has helped in her basketball life... "Luke 22:44 – 'And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.'
I've chosen this Scripture because it reminds me that though practice may be brutal, tough, draining, and sometimes I feel so sore with pain, nothing compares to what Christ went through for us. There is nothing that we can experience that would be equivalent to what he took on. This verse helps me to keep pushing and keep going."
Photos courtesy of RAM Photo, Explosive Illusions.
