On July 19, 1924, Eric Liddell was on top of the world. He was the most famous Briton at the time, having just won the gold in the Olympic 400-meter race. The story of that race—and the one he didn’t run—was told in the popular movie classic Chariots of Fire. But what most of us don’t know is what became of Eric Liddell in the years after the credits rolled. As the storm clouds of World War II rolled in, Eric had already made decisions in his life that gave him the resilience to stand tall while others fell into despair. His strength of character led him to choose an uncertain future in China during World War II in order to continue helping the Chinese. He lived purposefully even as his world crumbled and he experienced the horror and deprivations of a Japanese internment camp. Eric’s story is a story of hope in the face of uncertainty, resilience in the face of unspeakable odds, and inspiring vision of what life means, even when the final hour comes. The first race you run isn’t your most important one. It’s the final race that matters most. You won’t want to miss this story of an Olympian who chose the better way.Eric Eichinger is an ordained minister in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. He holds degrees from Michigan State University (BA), where he ran varsity track & field, and Concordia Seminary (MDiv). Prior to his pastoral call, he lived in New York for two years as a youth director for his church, and served with LCMS World Mission for two years in mainland China. Some of his additional writing can be found in the GodConnects series, where he wrote with a team of writers for The Lutheran Hour. He has also written a screenplay about the life of Eric Liddell, with co-writer, Howard Klausner, which is currently in development. Eric serves as senior pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in Clearwater, Florida, and resides in the Tampa Bay area. He and his wife, Kara, have three children, and a tenacious pup dachshund, Doppelbock, who chews everything he can find with the work ethic of a velociraptor.