The Eagle lands in our hearts once more

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/01/2010 (5974 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

You are going to be incredibly jealous, but I got to hang out Wednesday with a real Olympic hero, a man who became a living legend for a generation of couch potatoes.

If you haven’t already guessed, I’m talking about Eddie (The Eagle) Edwards, arguably one of the most famous Olympians ever, largely because he was also one of the least talented.

Eddie the Eagle is in town to take part in the Olympic torch relay, and we’ll talk about that in a minute, but first I need to give you young people a little background about a guy who captured our hearts and minds 22 years ago.

A drywaller by trade, Eddie, then 24, shot to international stardom in 1988 at the Winter Games in Calgary when he became the first British man to compete in ski jumping, and nearly killed himself on live TV.

The world loved Eddie because he was short on talent and experience, but long on heart. He was completely self-funded and competed using borrowed equipment that was way too big.

With his self-deprecating humour, crooked grin and vision so weak the lenses of his trademark eyeglasses were as thick as the bottoms of Coke bottles, he endeared himself to fans in Canada and around the world.

We loved Eddie because he didn’t have a clue what he was doing, but, heck, he did it anyway! When he took flight from the 90-metre tower in Calgary and wobbled through the air like a wounded duck, we were never sure whether he’d be alive when he hit the ground.

Most of all, we loved Eddie because if he could do it, then maybe we could do it, too.

"I knew I was going to come last in Calgary, but standing at the top of that jump was the greatest thing," Eddie recalled yesterday after going for a skate at The Forks as he was treated to "authentic Winnipeg tourism experiences," like curling and climbing the ice tower in Whittier Park.

"I always knew I’d be able to survive the jump, but to me a broken arm or a broken leg is just a minor inconvenience. I’ve broken most of the bones in my body, but I’m still alive," Eddie said.

"With 90,000 people at the bottom of a run chanting your name, it gives you a lot of inspiration. I didn’t expect to win gold. It was my dream to go to Calgary. My gold medal was just getting there."

Technically, he wasn’t last in Calgary. He placed 58th out of 59 competitors, thanks to a French jumper who broke his leg the day before the event. Organizers later changed the rules to ensure no one like Eddie ever qualified again.

As I chatted with Eddie the Eagle, it became clear he’s just as humble and charming today as he was when he became the sporting world’s version of a train wreck.

But I quickly realized Eddie the Eagle no longer looks like Eddie the Eagle. The glasses are gone, and so is the constant crooked smile.

"I had eye surgery about five years ago," he confessed as he warmed up over coffee, clad in a Canada tuque and a Granite Curling Club vest. "I had lenses implanted in my eyes so I don’t need glasses anymore.

"It kind of ruined my image but my golf has improved. I could probably jump better because I can see where I’m going. I also had my jaw realigned so I look totally different. I’m amazed people still recognize me."

Surprisingly, they do. As we talked, a smattering of wide-eyed Winnipeggers wandered over to politely ask whether he was, in fact, Eddie the Eagle. Then they thanked him for being such an unexpected inspiration.

Now 46, Eddie’s travelled the world, gotten married, had two daughters and studied law. But he’s still a drywaller who does the odd motivational speech or TV commercial.

This morning in Winnipeg, he’ll carry the Olympic flame. Relay organizers invited him to be a torchbearer to help promote international news coverage of the event.

Eddie couldn’t be happier to be here. At 8 a.m. today, he’ll carry the flame about 300 metres from the train tracks on St. Matthews Avenue to Niagara Engineering Works on Erin Street, thankfully a hill-free stretch of prairie.

Eddie’s a passable skater, but he’s praying he’s a better torchbearer than a ski jumper.

"I wish I was soaring on my skis now, but it’s still nice to be part of the Olympic ideal," Eddie said, wistfully. "I’m dead excited. I won’t sleep tonight. I’ll try not to trip over the torch and become the Olympic flame myself."

So Eddie the Eagle will have both feet firmly on the ground in Winnipeg this morning. He won’t be soaring, but that’s OK. Because Eddie is still living the dream.

And that’s what the Olympics are all about, Charlie Brown.

doug.speirs@freepress.mb.ca