Dancing On Ice’s Eddie the Eagle has spoken about the sheer grit and determination he used to qualify for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, ahead of his personal skate in the ITV competition this weekend.
The ski jumper, 60, became the first competitor to represent Britain in the sport at the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada in 1988.
The sportsman unfortunately finished last in both the Normal Hill and Large Hill events, but he insists he was lucky to take part as he was repeatedly told he did not have the talent or ability to compete in a compete at such a level.
However, he held the British ski jumping record from 1988 to 2001. He also competed in amateur speed skiing, reaching a speed of 67.4 miles per hour.
Eddie, real name Michael Edwards, has linked his personal skate, which he will perform on Sunday, to his Olympic experience, recalling living in a car and eating food out of rubbish bins as he tried to get by for the competition .
Dancing On Ice’s Eddie the Eagle has spoken about the sheer grit and determination he used to qualify for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary ahead of his Personal Skate this weekend
Eddie, real name Michael Edwards, has linked his Personal Skate, which he will perform on Sunday, to his Winter Olympics experience (pictured on Dancing On Ice last month)
He told MailOnline: ‘I skate to Van Halen – Jump. When I was training for the Winter Olympics in Calgary, I used to listen to that song and just as the song was about to “jump”, I went down this road and flew through the air.
‘I had to sleep in the back of my car. I was scraping food out of the bins and I had so many people helping me because they could see I was trying to do something and go somewhere, and eventually I managed to qualify for Calgary.
‘Representing Great Britain at the Olympic Games was simply amazing. I knew I would finish last. Attending the Olympic Games in Calgary was my gold medal. I just wanted to jump as far as I could and enjoy the whole experience.
‘The closing ceremony was incredible. The Olympic president sat up to deliver his closing speech and said: “Some of you have even soared like an eagle.” I stood up and waved and the crowd went crazy.
“It just shows that if you work hard, you can achieve anything. The Dancing on Ice process is also like that for me. It wasn’t my intention to inspire people, but I want to continue that. This performance is for all of you. This is for you.’
Eddie made a late addition to this year’s series of Dancing On Ice when he was called up to replace Gogglebox star Stephen Lustig-Webb – who was forced to quit after breaking his ankle.
He is paired with professional figure skater Vicky Ogden, but his original partner Tippy Packard had to withdraw due to an injury.
Reflecting on the challenge in his opening VT, he said, “Hopefully from now on we can spend a lot more time on the ice and wow everyone with that first dance.”
The ski jumper, 60, became the first competitor to represent Britain in the sport at the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada in 1988
Eddie has proven to be a hit with viewers so far, with fans of the show naming him the winner during a recent episode.
Before his routine, Eddie descended from the rafters of the huge eagle hanging from metal wires.
The moment impressed viewers, with many taking to social media to express their joy at what they had seen.
One person wrote on Twitter: ‘When it landed on that Eagle all I could think was: here we go, here’s the joke candidate. Should have known better. Dude is a bit of a surprise.”
While someone else said: ‘Eddie the Eagle surprised me so much, I didn’t expect him to be this good.’
‘Eddie The Eagle is my new favorite! What an achievement,” said another.
While someone else insisted: ‘Eddie the Eagle must win, well and truly.’
“Ricky Norwood deserved a better score from Oti, he looks like he’s improved so much since day 1. In other news, Eddie The Eagle MUST win, what a legend,” wrote another show fan.
Dancing On Ice viewers voted Eddie the Eagle as their winner after he impressed them with his skating skills during a recent episode of the show
Before his routine, Eddie descended from the rafters of the huge eagle hanging from metal wires
And someone else wrote: ‘Eddie the eagle was just fantastic. Well done, Eddie!’
Another audience member at home commented: ‘Unexpected excellence of the evening – Eddie the Eagle was brilliant!’
While someone else praised: ‘Eddie “The Eagle” surprised me, I did NOT expect it to be this good.’
Dancing On Ice continues on Sunday February 18 at 6.20pm on ITV1 and ITVX.