I am delighted to share, in collaboration with Educate Magis, the third episode of Sportingly+, titled: “Friendship of Luz Long and Jesse Owens from 1936 Berlin Olympic Games”. In this episode, we share one of the greatest stories of all time of sportsmanship, friendship, respect, and of course excellence in the history of modern sports. This is a story from the 1936 Berlin Olympics about Jesse Owens from the United States of America and Luz Long from Germany. Though the story might talk about the success of Jesse Owens in the Olympics but the real hero of this story is Luz Long. Read more below!

Sportingly+ is a series of videos that tell stories from the world of sports that highlight the values and positivity of sports. Sports can teach values such as fairness, team building, equality, discipline, inclusion, perseverance, and respect. Sport has the power to provide a universal framework for learning values.

We invite you to use this and the other videos of this series as resources in your classroom! To watch this and other videos of the series click here

Friendship of Luz Long and Jesse Owens from 1936 Berlin Olympic Games

After the Olympics, the two kept in touch via mail. Below is Long’s last letter to Owens while he was stationed with the German Army in North Africa during World War 2. Long was later killed in action during the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

« I am here, Jesse, where it seems there is only the dry sand and the wet blood. I do not fear so much for myself, my friend Jesse, I fear for my woman who is home, and my young son Karl, who has never really known his father.⁣⁣ My heart tells me, if I be honest with you, that this is the last letter I shall ever write. If it is so, I ask you something. It is a something so very important to me. It is you go to Germany when this war done, someday find my Karl, and tell him about his father. Tell him, Jesse, what times were like when we not separated by war. I am saying—tell him how things can be between men on this earth.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

If you do this something for me, this thing that I need the most to know will be done, I do something for you, now. I tell you something I know you want to hear. And it is true.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

That hour in Berlin when I first spoke to you, when you had your knee upon the ground, I knew that you were in prayer.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

Then I not know how I know. Now I do. I know it is never by chance that we come together. I come to you that hour in 1936 for purpose more than der Berliner Olympiade.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ And you, I believe, will read this letter, while it should not be possible to reach you ever, for purpose more even than our friendship.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

I believe this shall come about because I think now that God will make it come about. This is what I have to tell you, Jesse.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

I think I might believe in God.⁣⁣ And I pray to him that, even while it should not be possible for this to reach you ever, these words I write will still be read by you.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Your brother,⁣⁣ Luz »⁣⁣

We hope that you liked this story of Eric Moussambani. Write to us if this story inspired you. If you happen to have a sports story or know about a story that can highlight the values and positivity of sports please send it to us at  TimeOutTalkies@gmail.com, and we will story tell it on your behalf.

Keep following SPORTINGLY + on Educate Magis! See you at our next story!

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About the author: My name is Rahul Mukherji, and I have the privilege of serving on the Managing Committee of St. Lawrence High School and in the Governing Body of the St. Lawrence Old Boys’ Association (SLOBA) in Kolkata, India. Additionally, I am honored to be a member of the St. Xaviers College Calcutta Alumni Association (SXCCAA). I am also an International Olympic Committee (IOC) certified Master Trainer for IOC’s Olympic Values Education Programme.