The athlete who misbehaved

There are athletes who misbehave and athletes who misbehave. Anyone browsing through the sports pages of any national paper in the last few weeks would have read of the following alleged indiscretions among certain athletes: brawling, drug abuse, drunkenness and of course the girl-with-the-nude-photos affair. Such drama on and off the field these days!

Those who stayed at home at night on Australia Day last week might have caught ‘Salute’ a doco-movie which tells the remarkable story of another athlete who misbehaved in the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Despite winning a silver medal in the 200 metres event at 20.06 seconds (which still stands as the national record), Peter Norman was never allowed to run for his country again and wasn’t even invited to participate in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. The misbehaviour which warranted such harsh consequences? Standing in solidarity with black athletes protesting racism. If you’re ever passing through Newtown, you might still be able to see a mural of this remarkable event titled ‘Three Proud People’.

Early on in the film, it is revealed that Peter Norman had a background in the Salvation Army. His grandparents were officers and his parents were involved with the weekly church meetings. The sprinter himself was strongly influenced by the Salvos and was later famous for running with tracksuits emblazoned with ‘God is Love’ and ‘Jesus Saves’. While being interviewed Peter explained how the Christian values from his Salvos background influenced him to take the controversial stand with Tommy Smith and John Carlos on the podium.

While there are many who believe that sports should not be mixed with politics, let us be reminded that our faith should be expressed in every area of our lives. Our thoughts, words and actions should all glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Despite being an athlete, Peter could still make the statement because of his Christian values and convictions. He would pay a heavy price and never run competitively again but shortly after his death, USA Track and Field took the unprecedented step of declaring October 9 (the date of his death) Peter Norman day in memory of his courageous stand for equality.