'Challenges come with the process': Jordan Twenter on life, adversity, and leaning on God
'Challenges come with the process': Jordan Twenter on life, adversity, and leaning on God
The sophomore is focused on making the most out of his Bethel experience.
Jordan Twenter? Nah, that’s JT.
At least that’s what the world knows him as. The man, the myth, the legend, Jordan Twenter, known by his peers as JT, is a sophomore from Independence, Mo. — a suburb just roughly five minutes outside of Kansas City. He’s lived in Independence his whole life, so attending Bethel College wasn’t too far away from home for him.
Jordan is one of the many stars on the men's tennis team and is dedicated to improving every day. I started off by asking Jordan what it’s like playing tennis here at Bethel, and he began telling me about his journey through his tennis career. “It started with loneliness out of high school,” he said.
In the midst of his senior year, Jordan was unable to play tennis for his high school team along with his other friends and teammates due to the onset of COVID-19. This put him in a bad space mentally, and he lost sight of his goals and his purpose.
Luckily, he had great people in his friend group who cared about his well being.
During the COVID break, a friend of Jordan’s asked him to join him in attending youth church, which eventually motivated him to start attending church regularly. He became so moved and motivated during this time that he soon after made the life-changing decision to get baptized. For Jordan, getting baptized meant everything. He was able to find that peace of mind that he had been searching for and realized that no matter what, God is always with him.
Student-athletes are always facing some sort of adversity — whether it be competition-oriented, time management, or mental health. So, I asked Jordan how he responds to adversity.
“I try to bow my head and improve but realize that challenges come with the process,” he said. “Getting closer to God helped me see the brighter side of all the obstacles that I face.”
I ended the interview by asking Jordan what’s one piece of advice he had for the youth. Usually when I ask this question to people, they have to think for a minute, but not Jordan: “It’s not about what you want or what your path is,” he said. “Focus on being in the moment. It’s where God wants you. It may not be where you want to be, but it’s the best place because God put you there.”