Who could forget Eddie the Eagle? This intrepid Brit found at least temporary celebrity in a most unusual way: by being relatively bad at a sport.
The lanky, pleasantly goofy-looking Edwards, originally a plasterer by trade, came to public notice as a ski jumper in the 1988 Olympics. Despite being the best ski jumper in the UK, the near-sighted Eagle came in last in both the 70- and 90-meter events in Calgary.
One disadvantage was his lack of financial backing. Another was that he could not see without his glasses, which would fog up during the jumps, badly endangering his safety.
Despite his lack of competitive success, Edwards became the most popular competitor of the 1988 games. His ironic nickname was partly accountable, and probably his happy, undeterred demeanor contributed as well.
Edwards made the talk show circuit, and in Finland, where ski jumping is really big, someone recorded a very successful song, "My Name is Eddie."
The Eagle worked in tv advertising, went bankrupt, earned a law degree and worked as a tv show host.
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