Page 5 - Good News March 2017 paper

magine you dedicated your race as a dead sprint, running all his spirit didn't wane and while www
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adult life to helping those less 400 metres as fast as he possibly some people in the camp selfishly
Ifortunate than yourself - that could. To quote the man himself hoarded their supplies, Liddell
you spent your entire adult life when asked about his plan for spent his time teaching children
trying to make the world a better victory: “I ran the first 200 m as and sharing what he had.
place, and when you died (after hard as I could.. Then, for the
sacrificing your own life for second 200 m, with God's help, I When a few rich businessmen
someone else's) all most people ran harder!” managed to convince the guards
remembered about you was that to smuggle in extra rations,
you once ran really fast… Well Now we don't want to downplay Liddell's natural charisma was
that's what happened to Eric how impressive this achievement such that he was able to convince
Liddell! was, but it's child's play com- them to share the food with every-
pared to what Liddell did next. We one, and he was the first port of
Liddell is mostly famous for didn't mention it in the introduc- call when any dispute in the camp
being one of the subjects of the tion, but Liddell was originally needed to be settled.
film Chariots of Fire, along with born in China prior to being raised
running buddy, Harold Abra- and educated in Scotland. In fact, If you're not impressed yet with
hams. If you're unfamiliar with due to this, he's often regarded as Liddell's integrity, here's the part
the film or just want to see us one of China's first Olympic that really shows you the kind of
clumsily stumble our way champions apart from all his man he was. While in the camp,
through describing the plot, the other achievements. A year after Liddell was ravaged by mal-
film basically follows Liddell and his Olympic victory in 1924, nourishment and ill health. (It was
Abrahams through their univer- Liddell went back to China to later found that he had a brain Eric Liddell won a gold medal
sity years up to their respective serve as a missionary like his tumour, but he knew nothing of
individual gold medal wins at the parents before him had done. this.) Despite this, when Winston at the 1924 Paris Olympics.
1924 Paris Olympics. The film is Churchill managed to secure metres isn't the thing we should
noted to be fairly true to actual For a few years, Liddell served as Liddell's freedom in a prisoner all be remembering him for. It's
events. both a Science and Sports exchange, Liddell declined and true that athletic events have the
teacher at a College in the instead offered his place to a power to inspire us and that can
One of the film's most iconic Chinese city of Tianjin, the same pregnant woman who was also in be very important; but in the end,
scenes and one of the reasons city in which he was born. After 12 the camp, saving not only her life it's typically superficial. This is a
Liddell himself is so famous is years, Liddell opted to become an but that of her unborn child as rare case of an athlete doing
because he refused to compete ordained minister and then well. Besides his declining health, something even more meaning-
in the 100 metre heat because it continued his work spreading the this must have been a particularly ful, and no less inspirational.
took place on a Sunday. As a Word of God in the Xiaochang difficult decision, given that he
devout Christian, Liddell stead- county as an evangelist and had a wife and three daughters he As Liddell said when asked about
fastly refused to run any race humanitarian. hadn't seen in well over a year; walking away from athletics at
taking place on a Sunday. In the one of them, Maureen, he never the peak of his career to become
film, this decision is made on While serving there, Liddell got a chance to know... a missionary and humanitarian:
Liddell's journey to Paris from rescued two wounded Chinese “It's natural for a chap to think
Britain. However, in real life soldiers, despite the significant Much like most of his life's work, over all that sometimes, but I'm
Liddell was well aware of when risk involved. Other stories tell of he didn't do this for any sort of glad I'm at the work I'm engaged
the race took place several Liddell refusing to travel with an fame or recognition. In fact, he in now. A fellow's life counts for
months in advance and planned armed guard when visiting sick didn't even mention this fact to far more when doing this than the
appropriately, mainly training and needy people because his family in subsequent letters. other.”
instead for the 400 metre race. relying on a gun instead of God In his last letter to his wife as his
wasn't his thing! health deteriorated, he simply We close with a quote about
Liddell was harassed for months mentioned that he thought he was Liddell from Langdon Gilkey, a
about his decision and was even Why was this all so risky? At this perhaps overworked. fellow survivor of the camp
reportedly "grilled" by the British time, the Japanese were attacking where the two prisoners were
Olympic Committee, particularly China and Liddell ran the risk of On 21 February 1945, just a few imprisoned: “Often in an evening
because the 100 metre was his being shot every time he walked months before the camp was I would see him bent over a
best event and his best time in out of the door. The situation was liberated, Liddell died. chessboard or a model boat, or
the 400 metre (49.6 seconds) had so dangerous that the British directing some sort of square
little chance of winning anything government advised him and Now, after reading about how dance - absorbed, weary and
in the Olympics. Despite this, he other British citizens to leave the Liddell spent two decades in interested, pouring all of himself
didn't back down on the issue. country. Liddell's family left, but China helping others, some of the into this effort to capture the
he stayed to work at a Mission time voluntarily in a war-zone, and imagination of these penned-up
Long story short, when the 400 Station to help the poor. how he gave away his one chance youths. He was overflowing with
metre final rolled around, Liddell, at freedom for the life of a virtual good humour and love for life,
defied the odds and won the Tianjin eventually fell under stranger when he was in ill health and with enthusiasm and charm.
event with a world-record Japanese control, and Liddell was and desperately in need of a It is rare indeed that a person has
performance (47.6 seconds). A sent to an internment camp in doctor, perhaps the fact that he the good fortune to meet a saint,
performance usually attributed Weihsien in March 1943. Though could move his legs slightly faster but he came as close to it as
to the fact that Liddell treated the his situation was certainly dire, than other athletic humans for 400 anyone I have ever known.”