Mr. Speaker, here is an epic story to inspire us all. It is about compassion, passion and integrity immortalized in the movie Chariots of Fire, with an important Canadian connection. One hundred years ago at the 1924 Paris Olympics, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell, son of missionaries, refused to run on a Sunday to compete in his signature race, the 100-metre sprint. Instead he ran the 200-metre and 400-metre events, winning bronze and gold, the gold in world record time. Liddell exemplified the very best of athletics, and his faith and sport gave him a platform to help others.
A year after winning Olympic glory, he returned to China as a missionary, teacher and mentor. When war approached, he sent his wife, Florence, and daughters back to Canada. He never saw them again. Liddell died in a Japanese internment camp, aged 43. We join his family in Canada to celebrate his life. His legacy endures.