2012-06

It was announced recently that
the 1981 Oscar-winning film
Chariots of Fire is to be brought
back to the big screen ahead of this
summer’s Olympics, following a
digital re-mastering of the film.
The film tells the true story of
several runners training to compete
in the 1924 Paris Olympics. The
main character in the film, Eric
Liddell, is the favourite to win the
100m race. However, following
an announcement that the semifinals
were to be held on a Sunday,
Liddell felt compelled to pull out, as
a result of his conviction to keep
the Sabbath special. Instead he
focussed on the 200m and 400m,
his less favoured events. He
won bronze in the 200m, but his
personal best in the 400m was
modest by international standards.
At the starting blocks, an
American Team masseur slipped
a piece of paper into his hand
with a quotation from 1 Samuel
2:30: “Those who honour me, I will
honour.” Inspired, he ran the race
as a sprint from the start - at the time
the 400m was considered a middledistance
event - and then managed
to hold off the American favourites to
win gold, breaking the
world record in the
process. It stood as
a European record
for 12 years.
However, the film
ends without telling
the even more
remarkable
story of
Liddell’s
life after the
Olympics.
The following
year, Liddell felt
called by God
to go to China,
leaving behind
his successful
athletics and rugby career, and
began teaching in a Chinese school.
In 1937 the Japanese invaded.
Four years later, following British
Government advice, his wife and
children left China. However, Liddell
stayed in order to help his brother,
a doctor, at a rural medical mission
station, which served the poor.
In 1943 he was interned by the
Japanese. He became a leader
and organiser in the camp, where
food, medicine and other basics
were scarce and conditions were
extremely tough. Five months
before liberation, he died of a brain
tumour, at the age of 43. Overwork
and malnutrition had hastened his
death.
It is also believed that, in a
prisoner exchange programme,
Liddell had declined an opportunity
to leave the camp. Instead he gave
his place to a pregnant woman. His
final words, in reference to how he
had given his life to God, were “It’s
complete surrender”.
Jonathan Millard
Oscar-winning true tale
St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
Church Office: 9 Linden Avenue, Sheffield S8 0GA
Tel: (0114) 274 5086
Page 15
email: office@stchads.org
website: www.stchads.org