Thrive in Canada loves Eddie the Eagle!  Against all odds, Eddie qualified for the Calgary Olympics and captured our hearts. This amazing story became a movie and Eddie is back!

Source: 660 News

A British ski jumper who won over the hearts of Calgarians during the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, has braved the hill once again.

Around one thousand spectators came out to watch Michael “Eddie the Eagle” Edwards land six jumps including two 70-metre ramps at Canada Olympic Park Sunday afternoon.

The 53 year old says it’s amazing that decades later people are still touched by his story.

“It’s really refreshing that the message was so powerful that 29 years later, with the movie out as well that people still remember it so fondly and I remember that for me getting to those Olympic games was my gold medal and I was going to enjoy every second of being there and becoming Eddie the Eagle was just a bonus,” he said.

Edwards says he hopes Calgary will get to host the winter games again.

“I think the Calgary Olympics in ’88 were the best winter Olympics for a long, long time. Cause they made two movies about the Calgary Olympics, the Jamaican bobsled team and myself. And I think they can do an even better one. I hope they get the bid and I hope it’s successful and I hope the Olympics come back to Calgary.”

Eddie the Eagle finished last in the 70 and 90-metre jumps at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

 

Movie Overview:

Inspired by true events, Eddie the Eagle is a feel-good story about Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Taron Egerton), an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself – even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach (played by Hugh Jackman), Eddie takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of sports fans around the world by making an improbable and historic showing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. From producers of Kingsman: The Secret Service, Eddie the Eagle stars Taron Egerton as Eddie, the loveable underdog with a never say die attitude. Eddie the Eagle is available on Netflix.