BBC Documentaries

Eric Liddell: A Champion's Life (2012x271)

Uitzenddatum: Jul 23, 2012

Eric Liddell was one of Scotland's great Olympic champions and an inspiration for the film Chariots of Fire. In 1924 he was the fastest man in Britain and was picked to run in the 100m at that year's Olympic Games. As a Christian he would not run in the qualifying heats, which were scheduled for a Sunday. Eric changed events and picked up the gold medal in the 400m. It made him a national hero. However, this remarkable sporting achievement was only part of his story. Eric's faith led to him turning his back on running and fame and he returned to the country of his birth, China, where he followed his parents into missionary work. He would give the rest of his life to the Chinese people. When the Japanese invaded China in 1937, Liddell refused to leave and he died in a Japanese internment camp in 1945, aged just 43. The programme tells Eric's story through the testimony of those whose lives he touched, from his daughters, to those he helped in the internment camp, and people who are still inspired by his values. Glenn Campbell travels to China, visits the places where Eric lived and died, and hears how Liddell is a celebrated national hero on the other side of the world.