Refusing to Run
Eric Liddell was favored to win the 100-meter dash at the 1924 Paris Olympics. He was the fastest man in Britain.
Then he learned the heats would be held on Sunday.
Liddell refused to run. His convictions about honoring the Sabbath were unshakeable. The British Olympic Committee was furious. Newspapers called him a traitor.
Victory at 400 Meters
He switched to the 400 meters - a race he hadn't trained for. Before the final, a team masseur slipped him a note with a verse from 1 Samuel: "Those who honor me I will honor."
Liddell won gold, setting a world record that stood for 12 years.
Service in China
But the Olympics were just the beginning. Liddell returned to China, where he had been born to missionary parents. He served as a teacher, preacher, and evangelist.
When Japan invaded, Liddell was interned in a prison camp. He became known for his kindness, giving away his own food, organizing games for children, and tutoring students. He died in the camp in 1945, five months before liberation.
The Most Christ-Like Man
A fellow prisoner said, "He was the most Christ-like man I ever knew."
The athlete who wouldn't run on Sunday ran his whole life for Christ.
