The First Competitor to Represent Team GB in Olympic Ski Jumping, Former British Ski Jumping Record Holder, Subject of The ‘Eddie The Eagle’ Biopic & ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Competitor
Eddie Edwards’s Biography:
Eddie Edwards is a British former ski jumper, Olympian, author and media personality best known worldwide as Eddie “The Eagle”. Celebrated for his determination, resilience and underdog spirit, Eddie became one of the most iconic figures in Olympic history after representing Great Britain in ski jumping at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Despite finishing last in both events, his courage and perseverance captured global attention and transformed him into one of Britain’s most inspirational sporting personalities.
Eddie first pursued Olympic qualification in 1984 before switching from downhill skiing to ski jumping due to limited British competition in the sport. Through relentless self-funding and training, he became the first athlete to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping. In 1987, Eddie competed at the World Championships, ranking 55th, before qualifying for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. During this period, he also set the British ski jumping record at 73.5 metres, a record that stood from 1988 until 2001.
Although Eddie finished last in both the 70m and 90m ski jumping events at the 1988 Olympics, his determination and personality made him an international sensation. His impact on the sport was so significant that the “Eddie the Eagle Rule” was later introduced to tighten Olympic qualification standards. Following his Olympic fame, Eddie built a successful career as a motivational speaker and television personality, appearing on programmes including Splash!, Let’s Dance for Sport Relief, The Jump and Dancing on Ice.
In 2016, Eddie’s remarkable story reached a new global audience through the release of the biographical film Eddie the Eagle, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and became the highest-grossing British film of the year in the UK. Alongside his media work, Eddie published his autobiography, Eddie The Eagle: My Story and continues to deliver speaking engagements for major organisations including Dyson, Lloyds, Nationwide and the NHS. Through his extraordinary journey from outsider to national icon, Eddie remains one of Britain’s most inspiring sporting figures.
Why Hire Eddie Edwards?
Eddie is hired as a motivational speaker for his extraordinary story of resilience, determination and overcoming adversity against all odds. As the first Briton to compete in Olympic ski jumping, he inspires audiences with lessons on perseverance, self-belief and embracing failure as part of success.
Recognised globally through the hit biographical film Eddie the Eagle and winner of ITV’s Splash!, Eddie combines humour, honesty and inspirational storytelling in every appearance. His talks cover resilience, motivation, mindset and achieving ambitious goals, making him an exceptional speaker for conferences, leadership events and corporate audiences.
Eddie Edwards’s Career Highlights:
Below are some of Eddie Edwards’s most notable career milestones throughout sports:
- 2025 – Featured in major international media campaigns celebrating the legacy of the 1988 Winter Olympics ahead of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games.
- 2024 – Competed as a contestant on ITV’s Dancing on Ice.
- 2021 – Appeared on The Masked Dancer as Rubber Chicken.
- 2017 – Returned to ski jumping at Canada Olympic Park making his first jumps in over 15 years.
- 2016 – Released his autobiography Eddie The Eagle: My Story.
- 2016 – The biographical film Eddie the Eagle premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and became the highest-grossing British film in the UK that year.
- 2014 – Became commentator on Channel 4 winter sports programme The Jump.
- 2013 – Won the first series of ITV’s Splash!
- 2010 – Served as a torchbearer for the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
- 2003 – Graduated from De Montfort University with a law degree.
- 1988 – Became the first Briton to compete in Olympic ski jumping at the Winter Olympics in Calgary.
- 1988 – Set the British ski jumping record at 73.5 metres.
- 1987 – Represented Great Britain at the World Ski Championships ranking 55th overall.
Videos
Eddie Edwards’s Official Keynote Speaking Videos & Showreel:
Testimonials
“Working with Eddie the Eagle was an absolute pleasure. He proved to be a true professional, going above and beyond to ensure that spectators at our event felt motivated and encouraged throughout. Despite the challenging London weather conditions, Eddie remained positive, engaging, and accommodating, without a single complaint. His enthusiasm and dedication made a lasting impression on our participants, and we were incredibly grateful for his presence and contribution to the success of our event.” – Erin Early, A.S.O UK
“Everything went really well with Eddie and the feedback from staff has been great. He’s such a lovely, genuine man and to hear his story was very interesting and motivating” – Sarah, Get Busy
“I wanted to send out a huge thank you for your contribution in making the Rep Training Day a fabulous one… Thank you to our brilliant speaker and for your participation to achieve some clear goals to work towards this year.” – Ruth, Dyson
Wanted to say a huge thanks to you and Eddie for agreeing last minute to support our event. Everyone loved Eddie, he was such a hit and gave a really good speech. Lots of staff have said it was the best awards night yet. – Madeline, NHS
“EDDIE WAS AMAZING!!!!! What an absolute hero!!!!” – Lee, Wyre & Fylde Schools Sports Partnership and School Games Organiser
“Our evening with Eddie was a complete success!! He was so friendly and welcoming to our guests who approached him for photos and conversations. His talk went down brilliant with our guests. They are all aged between 40-70 so they grow up around the time Eddie was big on the Ski Jumping scene so it really took them back being able to listen to his stories and meet him! They loved it.” – Paige, Client Service and Experience Manager, Lucent Financial Planning Ltd
“We were quite disorganized and only confirmed with Andrew the day of our event. Needless to say, Andrew was a hit at our company’s annual kick-off, especially considering he didn’t have much time to prepare. He was put on the spot when he arrived and had to pretend to be a new hire so that the team would be surprised by his act later in the evening. When he appeared at the front of the room and revealed his true identity, he had everyone laughing. He was professional, friendly, and above all, very funny!” – Alex – Momentum ABM
“I had such great feedback for Eddie. The pupils, parents and staff all thought he was absolutely brilliant. He stayed behind and had photos with guests and signed autographs. Thank you for your help in securing Eddie.” – Kamala – Nottingham High School
“Eddie was funny, engaging and inspiring and nothing was too much trouble, he even had selfies taken with a huge queue of people!!” – Microgaming
“Eddie was so so so good, he was such a lovely chap and really experienced in meeting and greeting and public speaking. It was an honour to have him!” – Stamford College
“Eddie was brilliant and such a nice guy!” – Katy, McCarthy & Stone
“Eddie was brilliant! Everyone loved him and he was swamped with people wanting selfies at the end!” – Callum, Progressive Property
“The event was a huge success yesterday, Eddie was absolutely brilliant! Feedback so far has been hugely positive and Twitter coverage was huge for our area. Please do pass my thanks on to him once again for joining us, delivering an inspirational talk and then talking the time to meet with everyone that wanted pictures and to say “hi” to him once he had finished. An absolute gent!” – Helen, Events Northern Limited
“In short, Eddie was excellent!” – Robbie, Dyson
“Eddie was great on Friday. A brilliant evening and everybody loved him. Dare I say, our most popular guest yet! Thank you for all of your help as ever!” – Active Sussex
“Eddie was an excellent speaker at our product launch event – funny, charming and very personable. It was such a great surprise to our sales team (who had no idea he was coming). Listening to his stories about determination and never giving up in the face of adversity, was truly inspirational.” – Lauren, DW Windsor
“Just wanted to say a big thank you to Eddie for yesterday – he was really great, and we had some fantastic feedback from our guests.” – Rachael, FDA
Topics
Eddie Edwards’s Official Keynote Topics:
- The Olympics
- Overcoming Adversity
- Mindset
- High Performance
How Much Does Eddie Edwards Cost To Hire?
How Much Does it Cost to Hire Eddie Edwards?
The cost of hiring Eddie Edwards depends on factors such as your event requirements, whether it’s in-person or virtual, and any travel or accommodation needs. To receive an accurate quote, contact a London Keynote Speakers Agency booking agent for expert guidance.