Eddie first represented Great Britain at the 1987 World Championships and was ranked 55th in the world. This performance qualified him, as the sole British applicant, for the 1988 Winter Olympics. At that time, he was the British ski jumping record holder despite finishing last in the 70m and 90m events. Eddie has since become famous for personifying the Olympic spirit and for his determination to represent his country without any form of funding.
After retiring from ski jumping, Eddie has been much in demand!
Eddie became a fully qualified ski instructor shortly after retiring and he still works as a ski guide today.
Eddie went on the become the world number nine in amateur speed skiing, (106.8 mph / 171.9 km/h).
Eddie released a book called ‘On the Piste’ and even recorded several pop songs in Finland, the most famous of which was called “Munnimeni on Eetu” (“My name is Eetu”).
For several years in the early 2000s, Eddie co-hosted a Sunday morning show with Trish Campbell on BBC Radio Gloucestershire. In 2003, he graduated from De Montfort University in Leicester with a degree in law.
Eddie continues to work as a commentator for programmes such as ITV’s ‘The Jump’ and has taken part in numerous TV shows ranging from Sport Relief to the celebrity diving show ‘Splash’ which he won.
A film about Eddie’s life starring Taron Egerton as Eddie and Hugh Jackman as his trainer was released in Spring 2016 and was very successful.