Life Lessons to Learn from Eddie the Eagle

Five skiing life lessons to learn from the Eddie The Eagle movie

The ultimate underdog real life story of Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards, who managed to make it to the 1988 Winter Olympic Games despite being entirely self funded, will be making its way to the big screen in 2016. Considering the fact that he came last in both the 70m and the 90m events in that year, it might appear surprising to an outsider that the Eddie The Eagle film was even entertained, let alone produced. However, there’s a lot more to his story than the average Olympic last place contender, so here are our top five skiing life lessons to learn from the true story that inspired the movie.

1. There’s always another way

Eddie wasn’t a ski jumper to begin with, he was instead a downhill skier, but when he narrowly missed out on making the GB team in that event for the 1984 Winter Olympics he knew he was going to need to do something different to realise his dream. Consequently, he upped sticks and moved to Lake Placid in the US to continue his downhill challenge, but with his own funds tight and a lot of tough competition he made the big decision to switch to ski jumping.

It was his ability to change and adapt to the situation, to try new things that helped him to get to Calgary in 1988 and it’s that story that is now being immortalised in the film. If Eddie had just stubbornly continued doing the same thing, he would have been confined to obscurity instead of going down in history as one of the world’s best heroic failures. With so many disciplines in skiing and winter sports there are a lot of different avenues to go down, so you might want to try your hand at a fair few of them to find the right ones for you.

2. We shall never surrender

Eddie’s adaptability was helped by his tenacity and perseverance in the face of significant adversity. With no outside funding, borrowed ski jumping kit that was a few sizes too big, 9kg extra weight compared to the next heaviest ski jumper at the Games and farsighted vision that forced him to wear very thick glasses, the odds were definitely stacked against him. However, none of that stopped him thinking big and focusing his dream, which is something we can all learn from, whether we’re working our way up to a tougher run, trying moguls for the first time or training for a big competition.

3. It’s not the winning, but the taking part that counts

Eddie probably entertained the prospect of winning an Olympic medal only fleetingly as he was so far out of contention. For him, though, clearly it was just being a part of something momentous that fired him on. Not everyone can be the fastest downhill speed demon or the best ski jumper, but everyone can give it their best shot, which is exactly what Eddie did.

Eddie « The Eagle » Edwards with director Dexter Fletcher and actors Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton

4. It’s not how far you go, it’s how go you far

We’re not suggesting that Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards lost his mind when he transitioned from downhill skiing to the perils of ski jumping, but he definitely took a chance that paid off… sort of. He may not have won anything, or even come close, but the way he threw himself into the sport without fear was impressive in itself.

Taking a risk and pushing yourself doesn’t necessarily need to be dangerous as such, but it does mean digging deep to find a little of the eagle eyed spirit inside yourself.

5. Character maketh man… and women for that matter

There was just something loveable about the character of Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards and it’s this key component in him that made the public warm to him so much. Without this there certainly wouldn’t be a film about him.

There have been a lot of competitors that finish last in their category at the Winter Olympic Games over the years, but the vast majority have not gone on to become a household name. Eddie has, and if you can tap into a little of your own unique character then you may just get noticed on the slopes too, whether you finish first, last or happily with a hot chocolate at the Apres Ski lodge after a long day of ski school fun.

About the film:

The Eddie The Eagle film finished filming earlier this year with Dexter Fletcher in the director’s chair. It stars Taron Egerton, who recently starred in The Kingsman: The Secret Service, along with Hugh Jackman, Mark Benton and Ania Sowinski.

Film details and top five courtesy of Tuppence Magazine entertainment news – www.tuppencemagazine.co.uk