Trifecta Olympian Maya DiRado's big dreams fueled by faith

Rio 2016 may be Madeleine "Maya" DiRado's first and last Olympics but her Christian faith freed her to go beyond her gold, silver and bronze medals to conquer her life's big dreams.

The 23-year old swimmer said in an interview, "Knowing that I'm a child of God and that his love for me is determined by nothing I can achieve or do on my own has given me a quiet confidence. I think that my faith has helped me chart my own course and pursue my goals when people around me may be going in different directions," according to Christianity Today.

DiRado, a native of Sta. Rosa, California, won golds in the 200-meter backstroke and 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay, silver in the 400-meter individual medley, and a bronze in the 200-meter individual medley. 

She announced her retirement in competitive swimming early on. Rio is her first and last Olympics. DiRado shared in the interview that she feels a certain freedom in knowing that it is her last time to experience the competition and it has made the moments of the past year, even the little ones, more special.

"It may be hard for some people to understand, but I'd rather go out on a high with this amazing experience than to continue until I hate it or I'm no longer competing at a high level. I'll end with a great taste in my mouth and absolutely no regrets about what could have been," she added.

In a report by The Press Democrat, DiRado said that there will be things that she will miss but that she is excited for what's ahead.

The Olympian and her swimmer husband Rob Andrews will move to Atlanta later this month, where DiRado will begin her career as a business analyst for the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Indeed, DiRado has a new chapter to conquer and a golden life to win.