Richard Witham is a rugby coach and former rugby player
Richard Witham reflects on the power of sport and finding purpose through the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris this summer.
“For me, the joy of the Olympics is being able to watch 10,500 athletes from 206 countries compete in 329 events across 32 different sports. This is then followed by the Paralympics, featuring 4,400 athletes from 206 countries compete in 549 events across 22 different sports.
It creates a huge sense of inspiration for all of us to get active. It encourages us to have fun, and to give all sorts of sports a try this summer and into the coming months.
I don’t think there is any better sporting competition in the world which inspires others to enjoy the breadth of sport and movement. The joy of moving, of teammates, of competition.
The Olympics and Paralympics is held in Paris this year. Exactly a century ago did Paris host the Olympics of 1924, where Eric Liddell won bronze in the 200-metre final and gold in the 400-metre final. I cannot help but pause on his most famous quote:
‘I believe God made me for a purpose – but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure’.
There was a joy in listening to Team GB swimmer Adam Peaty being interviewed after his silver medal performance on Sunday, day 2 of the Games. It was also inspiring to listen to swimmer Mark Foster, five-time Olympian and six-time World Champion, talk about Adam’s journey. He spoke about witnessing changes in Adam over the last few years as he found his purpose, and that for Adam, it is more than just winning; it is about faith and his family.
As I listened to this, I was reminded of Eric Liddell. Eric described this sense of encountering God as he ran. This is a huge joy and a challenge for me, and as I think about Sportily and our desire to invite others to encounter God, I think about the ways that we have maybe forgotten, through our bodies and through movement.
We have an opportunity to help others find their purpose. Sport and movement can be the best place for this to take place.”
The story of Eric Liddell
Eric, a Scottish athlete and a Christian, was favoured to win the 100 meters, but he withdrew from the race because the heats were scheduled on a Sunday, and he refused to compete on the Sabbath. Many questioned why he would give up his chance at Olympic glory, but Eric stayed true to his beliefs.
He shifted his focus to the 400 meters, a race that he was less prepared for and not favoured to win. On the day of the race, Liddell was given a note by one of the American team masseurs that quoted 1 Samuel 2:30: ‘Those who honor me I will honor’.
Liddell not only won the 400 meters, but also set a new world record with a time of 47.6 seconds. He also finished third in the 200m race, earning a bronze medal with a time of 21.9 seconds.
He decided to join the London Missionary Society a year later, at the high point of his running career, and moved to China in 1925 to serve as a missionary teacher.
Eric’s story was shared with 65 young people who explored the theme ‘Ignite the Light’ at the Sportily summer residential this year.
Sportily have a wide range of sports camps this summer, taking place in many locations across the diocese. Visit their Book Now webpage to find out what’s happening in your location and secure your slot.
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