Michael Edwards, known worldwide as “Eddie the Eagle,” became a ski jumping legend at the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary. The Briton remains a crowd favorite this day and is now celebrating his 62nd birthday.
Michael Edwards’ path to becoming a ski jumping legend began in his youth, as Eddie repeatedly sought sporting challenges and tests of courage.
“I started skiing at 13 and jumped over colleagues and cars with skis,” recalls the Briton, who is celebrating his 62nd birthday today, in the Luzerner Zeitung about his first jumping attempts.
The story began in 1985 when Edwards decided to realize his dream and one day participate in the Olympic Games. Since there were no British ski jumpers at the time, Edwards decided to learn ski jumping and represent Great Britain internationally. His big goal: the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary.
Eddie the Eagle at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary
Ski Jumping: Everything Different with Edwards
Eddie had little money, but his hope was all the greater. Since he could hardly afford new training equipment due to his financial situation, the Briton was dependent on support from other nations.
“The Austrian team gave me better skis, the West Germans a suit, and I got the helmet from the Italians.”
The training was hard and dangerous, with all the falls included. He had “enough fear” to “concentrate, but not enough to give up.”
Thus, after just five months of ski training, he jumped down a 120-meter hill for the first time. “Instead of 20 years, like other ski jumpers, I trained for 20 months.” Not even two years after his first jump, he went to the Olympic Games.
The distinctive eyeglass lenses were the trademark of Michael Edwards
“Eddie the Eagle” Gave the Audience a Show
Edwards’ trademarks were his distinctive – and mostly fogged – eyeglass lenses. Through his extremely shaky jumping style, the Briton always gave the audience a show and thus quickly became a crowd favorite.
Sporting-wise, things didn’t go well at all in Calgary. Both on the normal hill and on the large hill, Eddie finished last. All of that faded into the background at the time.
“Eddie the Eagle” wrote ski jumping history that day and was considered by fans to be the real star of the Olympic Games.
For Edwards, a lifelong dream came true at that time. “I broke everything possible, including my skull twice. But it was all worth it because I was the first Briton to represent his country in ski jumping at the Olympic Games.”
“Eddie the Eagle” never jumped far, but directly into the hearts of the fans.
The story of Michael Edwards is still one of the most bizarre and spectacular that winter sports has ever produced.
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