With Channel 4’s ‘The Jump’ in all sorts of trouble after a succession of injuries to several of its celebrity contestants, some of them serious, it’s good to know that a more successful event, again involving Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards and a collection of Brits who had never ski jumped before, recently took place in Courchevel, without any such problems.
Five winners of a competition to ‘Jump With Eddie,’ Alexandra Stubbs, Max Willcocks, Andrew Marshall, Donald Banks and Mark Black, received coaching from members of the French National Team and Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards are now being named, the ‘unofficial British Ski Jumping Team’.
Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards made his return to the ski jumping world before the movie of his life is released this spring – alongside five winners of the Alp Leisure Ltd competition which is also designed to raise money in aid of Ski 4 Cancer.
During the week Eddie reached his target goal of launching off the 90 meter Olympic jump for the first time in over 20 years.
Declared the ‘Unofficial British Ski Jumping Championships’ by organisers Chris and Lucie Learoyd of Alp Leisure Ltd, the week long ski jumping course culminated in an informal competition with all five of the first time amateur ski jumpers along with Eddie the Eagle Edwards and 9 year old Louis Learoyd all managing to launch off the Olympic jump at the site used for the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville.
(Crowds gather to watch the action)
The five participants had won prizes of two week-long visits to Courchevel, the first for a week of training during October with Eddie the Eagle and then returning for the second week during the winter to jump as far as they could go.
Although they all completed both weeks without injury, it was not without apprehension as they stood high up on the huge Nordic ski jumps for the first time.
Alexandra Stubbs, whose 50th birthday fell during the second week of jumping said, “It’s been a massive privilege and unforgettable experience but launching myself off the precarious perch at the top of the 60m jump and hurtling down the rails at 50mph into the unknown blew some fuses in my brain. I took a few tumbles in training which dented my limited confidence but I’m super proud to have landed a jump for the ladies at our unofficial British championships.”
The second week of intense training by French team coaches and Chris Learoyd (Assistant Coach), with Eddie the Eagle on hand to help, concluded on the final day when the ‘unofficial British Ski Jumping Championships’ took place where the winners successfully launched themselves into the air alongside Eddie the Eagle and 9 year old Louis Learoyd.
(Louis Learoyd WINS the unofficial British ski championships with Eddie the Eagle in second place. Alp Leisure Ltd competition winner Max Willcocks was 3rd)
Special guest, British Team number one ski cross skier, Emily Sarsfield, presented the prizes on the night to everyone who had participated in this event and over 1,000 Euro was raised during the event that evening alone. Team fundraising pages can be found here.
Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards was presented with his medal and immediately gave it away to a nearby three year old toddler and said, “Crikey, this is my first ever podium,” highlighting both Eddie’s sense of humour and the spirit of a competition with a goal to raise money for such an important cause. Eddie’s fundraising page is here.
“We are really proud to have held this event in Courchevel and introduce ordinary people to the sport of ski jumping along with Eddie who has been an inspiration to everyone involved,” said Chris Learoyd, adding, “The competition winners have been incredible and their bravery throughout the training has been a credit to them, all for a fantastic cause which is the charity Ski 4 Cancer and in memory of my sister in law, Helen Learoyd.”
“I’ve had a lot fun ski jumping in Courchevel and helping to introduce people to the sport and helping to raise awareness for the charity Ski 4 Cancer. It’s great to see youngsters like Louis Learoyd taking up the sport and doing so well – hopefully I’ll be back again next year to help others get into the sport,” said Eddie.
Eddie the Eagle – The Movie!
Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards is easily the most inspiring winter sports athlete Britain has even produced and nearly three decades after his heroic achievements at the Calgary Winter Olympics of 1988, his fame seems to just keeps growing.
Perhaps it’s because Eddie’s self-belief and achievements against all the odds make a connection for all of us in what we respect and admire, and what seems to increasingly be being lost in the modern world of over sanitised, corporate-run sporting events.
Now the new Eddie the Eagle movie, scheduled for release in the UK on 28 March 2016, follows the realisation of the childhood dream of Michael Edwards (a.k.a Eddie), and his unflinching determination to become Great Britain’s first Olympic ski-jumper.
Reluctantly aided by former ski-jumper Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman) as his coach, Eddie (Taron Egerton ) is unwavering in his quest to reach the 1988 Calgary Winter Games. Eddie the Eagle is an uplifting, inspirational story that celebrates human spirit, passion, and one man’s refusal to accept defeat.
The film had an unofficial world premiere at the Sundance independent film festival in Park City last month to rave reviews.
The film also features Tim McInnerny (‘Blackadder’), Keith Allen (‘Robin Hood’), Iris Berban (‘Rosa Roth’) and Rune Temte (‘The Last Kingdom’), Christopher Walken (‘Catch Me If You Can’) and Jim Broadbent
