Dauntsey’s recently welcomed Great Britain’s first Olympic Ski Jumper, Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards to the School.
He presented the final Mercers’ lecture of this academic year to pupils, staff and members of the local community, talking about his unlikely rise to fame following his participation in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games.
Eddie was ranked 55th in the world which qualified him to compete in the 70 and 90 metre ski jump events for Great Britain. Unfortunately, he came last in both events but the plasterer from Gloucestershire won a place in the hearts of spectators around the globe. The public loved Eddie, thanks to his pure determination and ‘have a go’ attitude.
This theme of never giving up shone through in Eddie’s lecture at Dauntsey’s. He gave a very entertaining and honest presentation covering his experiences in the Calgary Games, the challenges of not being accepted by the winter sports establishment and how he coped with becoming an unlikely hero around the world.
Eddie spoke to a capacity audience of 900 at Dauntsey’s. Many parents remembered him from his Olympic exploits but pupils were also excited to hear him speak after watching the 2016 film of his life.
Ellie, a Sixth Form pupil who met Eddie prior to the lecture, said: “Eddie was a truly inspiring person to meet – he was so easy to talk to and made us feel that we really could do anything we wanted to do, if we have the right focus and determination. His lecture was full of funny anecdotes and examples of how he just kept going, even when it felt like all the odds were stacked against him.”
One parent who attended added: “It was refreshing to hear someone talk with such consistent positivity, there wasn’t one negative statement about his life and the challenges he faced – this was a great message to the pupils in the audience.”