Michael Edwards, better known as “Eddie the Eagle”, competed at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988 in the 70m and 90m ski jumping events and finished dead last in both. However, it wasn’t the result that spurred him on, it was the dream and desire to not only represent his country, but also to just do what he loved.

Reaching for your dreams does not come easy. You have to work hard at it. Eddie grew up in a poor working class family in England and didn’t start skiing until he was a teen. After several years of training hard, he became an elite downhill racer and only just missed out on qualifying for Britain’s downhill racing team at the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Even though this was a setback, Eddie looked towards the 1988 Games and thought about qualifying as a ski jumper. He didn’t have any financial backing and with no ski jumps in Britain, Eddie worked hard to save some money before driving around Europe to train (using secondhand skis and boots that were so large that he needed six pairs of socks to make them fit).

To continue training he had to work odd jobs on the road to finance and compete across Europe. With a lack of money, sometimes he was forced to eat out of garbage cans and sleep in the car. His passion to compete and represent his country was so strong that even after he broke his jaw from a nasty fall in Italy, he tied up his jaw with a pillowcase and kept training. He was solely focused on jumping and would push himself to get there.

Despite the incredible odds against him, Eddie did finally make the Great Britain team for both the World Championships and 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. This was such an amazing achievement to accomplish and really demonstrates what you can accomplish if you put your mind to it.

Eddie competed in the 70m ski jumping event and although he jumped well, he finished last. Deciding to challenge himself further, he then decided to compete in the 90m event, one which he had not competed in before. Speeding down the slope, he soared into the air and jumped an impressive 71m. This placed him in last place again but he didn’t care; he was so excited to be competing at the Winter Olympics for his country.

“I have never considered myself a failure at all. I managed to qualify for the Olympic Games in Calgary. I went there and I did the best I could with what I had, which wasn’t very much. I knew I was going to come in last, as I’d only been doing it for two years and everyone else had been jumping for 20 years. But for me, getting there was my gold medal. I was a true amateur and embodied what the Olympic spirit is all about. Anyone who has a go is a success.” – Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards

Did Eddie fail because he didn’t medal? Not at all. As he said, “anyone who has a go is a success”. It’s not the medal or winning that’s important, it’s the effort you put in to get there in the first place.

The Olympic motto pretty much sums it all up:

“The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.”

NNSW Futsal Trials for Nationals

If your child is a keen soccer/futsal player and would be interested in trialling for a Central Coast team, please read the details below about upcoming trials and the chance to compete at the National Schools Futsal Championships.

NNSW Futsal will be back in operation under the guidance and regulations set down by our centres and government officials. They plan to invite any interested player to trial for a Central Coast Futsal Team.

If successful, this team would then compete at the National School Futsal Championships.

As usual, qualified NNSW Futsal coaches will be taking care of the teams.

The National Schools Futsal Championships start on Tuesday 29 September and run through to Friday 2 October. Held in Brisbane and with a Dreamworld presentation night, this is a great experience for all players. The cost is $500 per player to compete, which includes all registration, games, the player's Dreamworld entry, three training sessions and all the representative gear.

If you wish to participate, please complete the cognito form by Monday 29 June:https://www.cognitoforms.com/CentralCoastStrikers/CentralCoastStrikersSchoolsNationals2020Trials

For further information, please email ccsec@nnswfutsal.com.au 

Trial times will be posted on their Facebook Page and emailed to those that have expressed interest. Trials will be held at either the Central Coast Adventist School or Niagara Park Stadium.

Dates for trials are:

• Sunday 5 July - all boys 
• Wednesday 8 July - all girls