Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards

Only British ski-jumper ever to qualify for Olympics.

•Michael Edwards known as Eddie Edwards•born 5 December 1963 in Cheltenham, England•first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping•British National Ski-jumping Record holder(73.5m)•Stunt Jumping World Record Holder (10 cars/6 buses)•World No 9 in Amateur Speed-skiing (106.8mph) •He is very short sighted

Fast Facts

Start of Career

•Coach-Chuck Berghorn•Trained in Lake Placid, NY•Used coach`s equipment though he had to wear six layers of socks to make the boots fit•Was overweighted for ski-jumping•Had lack of financial support for training - he was totally self-funded•Treated a broken jaw by tying a pillow case around his head because he could not afford medical attention•Although later claimed he was never afraid of heights

“They said I was afraid of heights. But I was doing 60 jumps a day then, which is hardly something someone who was afraid of heights would do.... But he was afraid of jumping?Of course I was. There was always a chance that my next jump would be my last. A big chance.” —The Guardian, 3 September 2007

The Olympics•He qualified, as the sole British applicant, for the 1988 Winter Olympics in ski-jumping•First Brit to compete in ski-jumping competition in Olympics (and so far the last)•Finished last in both K70 and K90 events (although jumped national record)•He became very popular and cained a lot of fame around the globe•Shortly after the Olympics finished, the entry requirements were greatly toughened, making it next to impossible for anyone to follow his example•The press nicknamed him "Mr. Magoo", and one Italian journalist called him a "ski dropper"

At the closing ceremony the president of the Games singled him out for his contribution: "At this Games some competitors have won gold, some have broken records and one has even flown like an eagle." At that moment, 100,000 people in the stadium roared 'Eddie! Eddie!'. It was the first time in the history of the games that an individual athlete had been mentioned in the closing speech.

Fame•Known as the 'barmy Brit,' he soon gained a huge following throughout the world. •Millions watched his jump and when he landed he raised his arms in a salute normally reserved for the outright winner. •The worse he did, the more popular he became•He became a media celebrity and appeared on talk-shows around the world•Few people know who won the 90 meter ski jump at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Everyone, however, knows that Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards came a definitive last•In 2009 film Eddie the Eagle, starring Steve Coogan is set to be released

Funny Facts

"A living embodiment of the Olympic spirit, he said that he did not train in the gym because it made him ache..."

Edwards's qualification (no one else from England applied) prompted the IOC to institute an "Eddie the Eagle rule," stipulating that prospective Olympians must place in the top 30 percent of the top 50 competitors to qualify for the games.

Nagano

•After recovering from a skull fracture and bankruptcy tried to make to the Olympics in 1998•He was 32•He had new equipment, a new sponsor•Said that he was really thinking about the technique what he hadn`t done in Calgary•Wanted to prove he was taking ski-jumping seriously and wasn’t a clown

He didn’t make it

After Ski-jumping

•He earned a degree in law at De Montfort University in Leicester•Edwards released a book (and a video) called On the Piste•And later a song called "Fly Eddie Fly" that reached the Top 50 in the UK.•Recorded original Finnish song "Mun nimeni on Eetu" ("My name is Eetu"), though he does not speak Finnish•On 13 February 2008, Edwards made a return visit to Calgary to take part in festivities marking the 20th anniversary of the games•Now lives in the Stroud Valleys and earns a living as a plasterer but also teaches and enjoys skiing and ski-jumping

Lake Placid ski-jumpCalgary Olympic ski-jumping venue

Cheltenham Stroud Valleys

Thank you for watching

"Fly Eddie Fly"