Being highly successful in any field is pretty rare. It takes a combination of natural talent, luck, determination, and plenty of outside support for someone to make it big in sports, entertainment, or business. But what if competing is all that matters to you, whether you are likely to succeed or not? This was the goal of Michael "Eddie the Eagle" Edwards, and that he reached that goal was an amazing achievement.
Born in the U. K. in 1963, Michael was an enthusiastic downhill skier whose dream was to compete for Britain in world-class competitions. He would have liked to represent his country in the 1984 Winter Olympics, but there was a large number of downhill competitors, and Edwards didn't qualify. Seeing his chance elsewhere, he switched to ski jumping. Ski jumping training didn't cost nearly as much, and there was no competition for a place on the British team.
But a number of hurdles could have meant the end of Edwards's dream. He weighed more than most competitors, which put him at a disadvantage. He had no financial support for his training. Poor eyesight meant that he had to wear glasses under his goggles - not a good thing when they steamed up at high altitudes. But he didn't let any of this discourage him. He saw himself as a true lover of the sport who simply wanted the chance to compete. Winning wasn't the point. Having the opportunity to try was all he cared about. And nothing could stop him from trying.
In the end, Edwards took 55th place in the 1987 World Championships. He then went on to the Calgary Olympics in 1988, where he finished last in both of his events. Many athletes would have been embarrassed by this result, but he is proud of his achievement to this day. His determination to persevere against all the odds made him a global hero, and in 2016, the inspiring film Eddie the Eagle was made about his life.
Being
highly
successful in any field is pretty rare. It takes a combination of natural talent, luck, determination, and
plenty
of outside support for someone to
make
it
big
in sports, entertainment, or business.
But
what if competing is all that matters to you, whether you are likely to succeed or not? This was the goal of Michael
"
Eddie the Eagle
"
Edwards, and that he reached that goal was an amazing achievement.
Born in the U. K. in 1963, Michael was an enthusiastic downhill skier whose dream was to compete for Britain in world-
class
competitions. He would have liked to represent his country in the 1984 Winter Olympics,
but
there was
a large number of
downhill competitors, and Edwards didn't qualify. Seeing his chance elsewhere, he switched to ski jumping. Ski jumping training didn't cost
nearly
as much, and there was no competition for a place on the British team.
But
a number of hurdles could have meant the
end
of Edwards's dream. He weighed more than most competitors, which put him at a disadvantage. He had no financial support for his training. Poor eyesight meant that he had to wear glasses under his goggles
-
not a
good
thing when they steamed up at high altitudes.
But
he didn't
let
any of this discourage him. He
saw
himself as a true lover of the sport who
simply
wanted the chance to compete. Winning wasn't the point. Having the opportunity to try was all he cared about. And nothing could
stop
him from trying.
In the
end
, Edwards took 55th place in the 1987 World Championships. He then went on to the Calgary Olympics in 1988, where he finished last in both of his
events
.
Many
athletes would have
been embarrassed
by this result,
but
he is proud of his achievement to this day. His determination to persevere against all the odds made him a global hero, and in 2016, the inspiring film Eddie the Eagle
was made
about his life.
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