Inaugural Eric Liddell Lecture rallies support
A rallying call was issued to Scotland’s charity and business sector recently to help commemorate the centenary of Eric Liddell’s heroics at the 1924 Paris Olympics.
Scottish athlete and missionary, Eric Liddell, achieved gold in the 400m and bronze in the 200m, immortalized in the film Chariots of Fire.
The Eric Liddell 100 initiative, dedicated to honoring the legacy and community service of the University of Edinburgh graduate, features a series of events and activities.
Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal – University of Edinburgh Chancellor – attended the inaugural lecture at the Fingal Hotel on 7th November 2023 which encouraged peer organisations to support the scheme.
With the 2024 Olympic Games returning to Paris exactly 100 years after Eric Liddell’s amazing success at the 1924 Games, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to commemorate, remember and celebrate ‘The Flying Scotsman’.
John MacMillan went on to say how the Eric Liddell 100 campaign, along with its programme of events and activities, will recognise and celebrate Eric as one of Scotland’s and the UK’s most iconic sporting figures and embed his story for young people today, future generations and communities across the world.
It’s an honour to be asked to deliver the Inaugural Eric Liddell Lecture. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, it will be 100 years since the athlete won gold and bronze and refused to run on a Sunday.
Eric Liddell’s humanity and values are as good a foundation as any for people striving to make the world a better place and his life could and should inspire future generations.