Eric Liddell, hero of the film Chariots of Fire, risked becoming a national disgrace when he refused to run on a Sunday in the Paris Olympics. But the criticism turned into sensational acclaim when Eric entered and won a race for which he had not trained.
He was a celebrity, but the faith which had inspired his courageous stand stirred in him again, and at the height of his fame he announced that he was leaving athletics to return as a missionary China. This story of "God's Athlete" Makes for inspiring reading.