Bubba Nickles-Camarena / Oklahoma City Spark
Professional softball player and Olympic silver medalist Bubba Nickles-Camarena is widely recognized for her strong and open Christian faith, which she frequently credits as the foundation for her life and athletic career.
Her faith shapes how she approaches sports, relationships, and leadership through several core avenues:
Finding Her Purpose
* The Turning Point: Nickles has shared that she truly found and deepened her faith between her junior and senior years while playing at UCLA in 2020.
* The Concept of Surrender: On platforms like the podcast Dropping Diamonds, she has discussed how she uses the concept of "surrender" to handle pressure. She describes it as keeping her hands open to God—cherishing her opportunities but ultimately trusting His plan over earthly results.
* Personal Motto: Her official Team USA profile features her personal motto: “Never stress, just do your best, and trust God with the rest.”
Faith-Based Sports Ministry
* Athletes in Action: Nickles is heavily involved with Athletes in Action, a nationwide sports ministry that helps student-athletes and coaches ground their identity in faith rather than fame or money. Her husband, Evan Camarena, works full-time for the organization, and together they host events and build faith communities within athletics.
* Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA): She also proudly represents the Fellowship of Christian Athletes throughout her professional career.
Recognition & Community Impact
* Civic Leadership & Impact Awards: Because of her dedication to sharing the Gospel and serving underprivileged youth through sports clinics, Athletes Unlimited selected her for its 2025 Impact Award and named her a finalist for the 2026 Civic Leadership Award.
* Sharing Online: Nickles frequently uses her Instagram platform to open up about Christian values, including her personal decision to practice relationship abstinence prior to marrying her husband in early 2024.