THE campaign to honour Scotland’s Olympic legend, Eric Liddell, has gathered pace with the reopening of an Edinburgh University gym that now bears his name.
The launch of the Eric Liddell Gym, after an extensive £1 million revitalisation, has been described as symbolising a “powerful commitment to fostering physical fitness and community engagement”.
Eric Liddell was a hero who ran like Hell for the greater glory of God
The investment was made by the university in partnership with the Eric Liddell Community, a care charity whose Eric Liddell 100 programme of events and activities is being planned around next year’s centenary of Liddell’s historic success at the 1924 Paris Olympics.
Liddell famously refused to run in heats for his favoured 100 metres event because they were held on a Sunday and thus ran counter to his religious convictions. He took part instead in the 200m event, in which he won bronze. He then competed in the 400m, which he won by six metres and in a world record time.
His compelling achievements at the Olympics were later recounted in the Oscar-winning film, Chariots of Fire, which starred Ian Charleson and Ben Cross.
Honouring life and times of Eric Liddell
Liddell, who had been born in Tianjin, North China, studied at Edinburgh University and as well as his athletics successes also won seven international caps for Scotland in rugby.
In 1925 he returned to China, where he served as a missionary teacher. He died in a Japanese internment camp in 1945.
In 2008 Liddell was one of four inaugural inductees in the university’s sports hall of fame.
In January 2022 he was inducted into Scottish Rugby’s Hall of Fame, exactly 100 years after winning the first of his seven caps.
John MacMillan, CEO of the Eric Liddell Community, said: "We're thrilled that the University of Edinburgh has chosen to honour Eric Liddell's legacy by reopening the Eric Liddell Gym. We're equally delighted that the University is actively supporting The Eric Liddell 100 campaign, and we look forward to collaborating closely as we approach the centenary”.
Chariots of Fire actor dies at 40
The Princess Royal is Patron of The Eric Liddell 100.
In a Herald article a year ago, Mr MacMillan wrote: "Eric is remembered in many ways to different people – as a sportsman, a husband and father, a devout man who lived his life according to his beliefs, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, and a missionary in China, who refused to leave those he looked after during the Second World War.
Talks on new film about Eric Liddell
"The Eric Liddell Community reflects Eric’s code of ethics, to help and support those who need it and the people who look after them in a spirit of community, inclusivity, diversity and generosity. His legacy is strong and we embrace the close ties with Eric’s daughters in Canada and his niece who lives in Edinburgh and is a patron of The Community".
Celebrating the enduring legacy of an iconic Scottish hero
The gym's refurbishment includes a substantial investment in cutting-edge equipment from Technogym.
Mark Munro, Director of Sport and Active Health at the University of Edinburgh, said: "It's a genuine honour to reopen the gym in Eric's honour. Our partnership with Technogym has allowed us to create an incredible space that will undoubtedly inspire our entire community to lead active lifestyles."
Eric Liddell becomes latest inductee into Scottish Rugby’s Hall of Fame
The gym, covering an expansive 765 square meters, merges two areas, one for cardio workouts and another for fixed-weight activities.
Giovanni Simoni, Managing Director of Technogym UK, said: "We are immensely proud to collaborate with the University of Edinburgh to provide innovative products and digital solutions to students and the local community. The official reopening marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for the university's future, promoting physical activity in alignment with our shared goals of increasing movement and physical well-being."
* https://ericliddell.org/the-eric-liddell-100/
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