The Story of Eric Liddell

Eric Liddell, the “Flying Scotsman” was made famous by the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire. He was born to missionary parents in China in 1902 and educated in the United Kingdom.

Though he made the British Olympic team for the 1924 Paris Olympics, he withdrew from his best event, the 100 meter dash, when the heats were held on a Sunday. A Sabbatarian, Liddell would not participate. Instead, he ran the 400-meter, an event he was not favored to win. In a surprising turn of events, Liddell beat the favored American runners and set an Olympic record that stood for 12…