Essay On Eric Liddell

The Olympic Games are renowned across the world for being the foremost sporting event in athletic history. Winning a medal in the Olympic Games is not only an incredible individual achievement; it is also a way for athletes to honor their home countries on one of the most visible stages the world has to offer. Through the years, some extraordinary athletes have stood out from their fellow competitors in the Games, and they are remembered in history as being some of the best athletes to ever live. One of these great champions is Eric Liddell, who was a track athlete proudly representing Scotland in the 1924 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Liddell was the winner of the gold medal in the 400 meter run, and he also won the bronze medal in the 200 meter run (Burnton). What separates Eric Liddell from many other superior athletes through history is the manner in which he lived his life after his athletic career. When his athletic career ended, Liddell served as a missionary to northern China from 1925 to 1943, where he ultimately ended up dying in an internment camp (The Eric Liddell Centre). Because of his burning passion for both athletics and his Christian faith, Eric Liddell is remembered as one of the greatest Olympians and missionaries to ever live.

To understand the true scope of Eric Liddell’s greatness, one must look at Liddell’s full life story, not just his Olympic accomplishments. The way Eric Liddell lived his life was extremely not ordinary for a famous athlete. Instead of embracing the spotlight and the fame that comes with success, Liddell shunned all of the glory and chose instead a life of service and selflessness. Eric Liddell believed that his athletic abilities were a gift given to him by God, and he said, “I believ...

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... The answer to this question is relatively simple to answer. Eric Liddell could have easily decided to forsake his religious convictions and run in the 100 meter run, in which he was almost guaranteed to win the Olympic gold medal, but instead, he remained true to his convictions and defied the expectations of many people across the world. After he demolished the standards that had been set for him, Liddell remained humble and directed all of the praise for his record-breaking performance to God. After his incredible Olympic feat, many would assume that Liddell either continued competing or pursued a position where he could maintain his status as an Olympic hero, but the most incredible achievements and sacrifices of Eric Liddell’s life occurred after he hung up the track spikes. In the documentary The Real Chariots of Fire, the narrator points out that Eric Liddell