Patron Saint of Weightlifting and Exercise: St. Sebastian

No saint has been officially named patron of weightlifting, but weightlifters and everyone who trains their body usually turn to St. Sebastian, the Roman soldier and martyr who is the patron saint of athletes. Many also ask the help of St. Christopher, the giant of legend who carried the Christ Child across a river, and of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, the young mountaineer and sportsman canonized in 2025. St. Paul often compared the Christian life to an athlete’s training. Below are these saints, what Scripture says about exercise, and a prayer before a workout.

A short prayer before training, written for this page:

Lord, thank you for the gift of my body and the strength you give me.
Help me to train with discipline, to stay humble and safe,
and to use my strength to serve others. St. Sebastian, pray for me. Amen.

St. Sebastian, patron of athletes

Sebastian was a Christian officer in the Roman imperial guard during the persecution of Diocletian, around the year 300. He used his position to encourage Christians in prison. When his faith was discovered he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows, and left for dead; nursed back to health by a Christian widow, St. Irene, he went back to confront the emperor and was then beaten to death. Because of his physical endurance and his soldier’s discipline he became the patron saint of athletes, soldiers and archers. His feast day is January 20. See the St. Sebastian prayer.

St. Christopher, the strong man

According to the legend, Christopher was a man of enormous size and strength who wanted to serve the most powerful king in the world. A hermit told him to serve Christ by carrying travelers across a dangerous river. One night he carried a small child who grew heavier and heavier with every step; on the far bank the child revealed that he was Christ, and that Christopher had carried the whole world and its Creator on his shoulders. He is the patron of travelers. See the St. Christopher prayer.

St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, the sportsman saint

Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925), a young man from Turin, loved mountain climbing, skiing, cycling and riding, and was known for his strength, his joy and his secret care for the poor. He died of polio at twenty-four and was canonized by Pope Leo XIV on September 7, 2025. His motto, “Verso l’alto” (“To the heights”), is loved by young athletes. See St. Pier Giorgio Frassati.

What Scripture says about exercise

St. Paul and the athletes (1 Corinthians 9:24–25, Douay-Rheims):

Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain.
And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one.

Bodily exercise and godliness (1 Timothy 4:7–8, Douay-Rheims):

But avoid foolish and old wives’ fables: and exercise thyself unto godliness.
For bodily exercise is profitable to little: but godliness is profitable to all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

St. Paul does not despise physical training; he reminds us that it is “profitable to little” compared with training in godliness, which lasts for ever. Taking care of the body God gave us is good, as long as it does not become vanity.

Prayers for weightlifters and athletes

Written for this page.

Before a competition

Lord, I give you this competition.
Help me to do my best, to respect my opponents and the rules,
and to accept the result with grace. St. Sebastian, pray for me. Amen.

For protection from injury

St. Sebastian, you endured great pain with courage.
Protect me from injury as I train today,
and give me patience if I am hurt. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the patron saint of weightlifting?

There is no official patron, but weightlifters usually turn to St. Sebastian, patron of athletes, and to St. Christopher.

Who is the patron saint of exercise and fitness?

St. Sebastian, the patron saint of athletes. St. Pier Giorgio Frassati is a modern model of a sporting, joyful Christian life.

Patron Saint of Weightlifting and Exercise: St. Sebastian, St. Christopher and a Prayer