Olympic athletes constitute one of the hardest working people groups in the world — there's no doubt about that. At the end of the day, all these highly successful people could credit themselves for their astounding achievements. However, several athletes competing in this year's Olympics do not attribute success solely to their own efforts. Instead, they believe someone greater than themselves has led them in their journey every step of the way and allowed them to enjoy momentous success.

Michael Phelps had everything any human being could desire; he retained monumental fame as one of the world's most skilled swimmers , earned 18 gold medals preceding the 31st Olympiad, and competed in three different Olympic Games. However, none of this satisfied Phelps, who felt a void so deep he almost didn't live to compete at the Rio Games this summer.

Phelps dissatisfaction with life caused him to engage in substance abuse, creating a downward spiral where he went off the deep end and nearly took his own life in September 2014, according to qpolitical.com . NFL player Ray Lewis stepped in and helped Phelps, convincing him to check into rehab and additionally sharing wise words about Christ with him. Lewis also blessed him with the book "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren, a powerful gift that ultimately changed his entire course of life. Phelps gained incredible insights from this book after reading Chapter 20, which included 2 Corinthians 5:18:

18 "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" - 2 Corinthians 5:18

Phelps seems to have experienced what Matthew 16:26-27 describes, realizing that he could not fill the emptiness in his heart with anything other than God Himself:

26 "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done." - Matthew 16: 26-27

Since then, Phelps completely turned his life around. He began training for the Rio Olympics and has added four gold and medals to his immense collection. In addition, he married Nicole Johnson and started raising Boomer, his first son.

Swimmer Simone Manuel's face displayed complete shock after she finished first in the 100m freestyle and glanced at the scoreboard. Manuel evidently did not expect to win her event and shed tears in her NBC interview following the race.In addition, Manuel became the first African-American female swimmer to earn a gold medal and her face lit up with a bright smile during her medal ceremony.

However, she did not parade her victory in front of the camera when NBC news interviewed her following the race. Instead, Manuel said this:

"All I can say is all glory to God. It's definitely been a long journey these past four years. I'm just so blessed to have a gold medal ... I'm just so blessed." - Simone Manuel in an NBC interview after swimming the 100m freestyle.

Manuel regularly praises God on both her Twitter and Instagram pages and captions her photos with phrases such as " All Glory to God! Super blessed by this awesome experience! USA still has more work to do!" Simone's most recent Tweets also proclaim God's glory.

It is an honor to represent the USA! God is working in me! I am so blessed and grateful. Thank you all so much for your support.
— Simone Manuel (@simone_manuel)

Her Twitter bio additionally includes the verse Philippians 4:13.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

Young gymnast Laurie Hernandez also openly proclaims her faith by sharing Bible verse quote images. Her Twitter bio even reads "God is always first." She told CBN news how she shares these pictures in order to demonstrate her faith and allow God to continue molding her. According to qpolitical.com, Hernandez endured quite a journey filled with overwhelming struggles that should have prevented her from competing in the Olympics.

Despite the hardships she faced, the 16-year-old pushed through with powerful determination and stated that nothing is impossible with God. Hernandez also shared in a Q&A with NBC News how praying before competitions remains one of her pre-ritual practices. Like Manuel, Philippians 4:13 is her favorite Bible verse and serves as her personal motto. She clearly praises God for her athletic achievements.

"My pre-competition rituals are listening to music, envisioning all my routines, and praying before I compete." - Laurie Hernandez in a Q&A with NBC News.

Track and field athlete Allyson Felix is another Olympic athlete who mentions God in her Instagram posts. Before competing in the 400m finals, she posted this picture of her on the track in Rio and described how she would continue praising God despite the race's outcome. Felix ran a strong race, yet she earned a silver medal instead of the top prize due to Shaune Miller from the Bahama's crazy finish. Felix outpaced Miller near the end of the race, and Miller dove across the finish line because she greatly desired the gold medal. Even though Felix did not grab a gold medal, she still became the most decorated U.S. female track athlete in history. Felix indeed felt disappointed, yet she still gave God the glory for her achievements, as indicated by her most recent Instagram post.

"Last night didn't end the way I had dreamed. I'm disappointed. I was quickly reminded of countless reasons to be proud, thankful and grateful. Bobby told me this is the most proud he has ever been of me. That resonated with me. Everything went wrong this year, but some way I made it here and won a silver medal. I fought as hard as I could and gave my all. I'm most proud of never giving up on my dreams in the face of adversity. I'm extremely humbled to now be the most decorated female Olympian in USATF history. All glory to God!" - Allyson Felix in a recent Instagram post.

Maya DiRado is another Olympic athlete who believes in God. She recently shared in an interview with Christian Examiner how unlike many other athletes, she believes God does not necessarily value the amount of races she wins because there are more important things in the world besides sports competitions.

"As for my swimming career, my faith has helped me remember that there are so many more important things in life worth doing. Swimming is a pretty selfish activity, and so I've always known that it can't be my whole world," - Maya DiRado in an interview with Christian Examiner

Runner Wayde van Niekerk from South Africa astonishingly smashed Michael Johnson's record in the 400m. Filled with shock, the runner sat on his knees immediately following the race and thanked the Lord for his victory. Van Niekerk posted a picture on Twitter with the caption "Jesus Did It" afterwards. He additionally wrote "Jesus, I am all yours, use me" on his shoes as a reminder that his efforts ultimately point back to Christ.

Gymnast Gabby Douglas competed in the 2012 London Olympics and wrote an autobiography called "Grace, Gold, and Glory My Leap of Faith," describing how immense perseverance and her faith played a large role in her gold medal success. In addition, Douglas articulates how God deserves the glory for her gold medal prosperity.

"Glory - when God shares it with us, there's only one thing we can do: give it right back to Him” - from "Grace, Gold, and Glory My Leap of Faith"

Some of these competitors have not openly stated that God's mighty power stands behind their success. However, His incredible work manifests through their incredible performances and these hardworking people acknowledge how He changed their lives through various ways . God supports them and carries them through both wonderful and devastating days, using their abilities to impact others throughout nations across the globe.