‘Eddie the Eagle’ lands in Calgary
Olympian to join pro-Games rally
The Olympian known by the nickname Eddie the Eagle was welcomed to Calgary with a white-hat ceremony at the airport Sunday, as the former British ski jumper prepared to take part in a pro- Olympics rally Monday.
Michael Edwards, who arrived at the Calgary International Airport from London around 3:30 p.m., said it’s “always nice to come back to Calgary,” where the Eddie the Eagle title was coined during the 1988 Winter Games.
“I think Calgarians in 1988 were so proud to host the Olympic Games and it was such a special Olympics,” Edwards told reporters at the airport.
“I’m very biased because I loved it and it was my first, it was my dream to get there. But it was a fantastic Olympics, and it was an underdog ’s Olympics — the Jamaican bobsled team and myself.”
Edwards was brought to Calgary for a rally organized by supporters of a 2026 Olympic bid, as residents prepare to cast their votes in a plebiscite.
While he’s not sure if “other characters” like him will have the chance to rise to fame if Calgary hosts another Winter Games, Edwards said that wouldn’t make the event “any less special.”
“I think all the athletes that go there, it’s their dream to be there and they want to do well and it’s always a very special event,” he said.
He added he thinks using the ski jumps in Whistler, B.C., “is a good idea.”
“Why build more ski jumps when you’ve already got one? Use what you’ve got,” he said.
Canadian Paralympic snowboarder Michelle Salt joined other supporters at the airport to greet Edwards, posing for photos with the Olympian after he received his white Smithbilt hat.
She noted that if Calgary does bid for and win the right to host the Winter Olympics in 2026, it would also have the opportunity to showcase Paralympians.
“For anybody who’s potentially in a wheelchair or an amputee, they’re going to make those (venues) accessible,” she said. “Because, in ’88, we just didn’t have a Paralympics here ... To upgrade those for the public to use means we’re all benefiting.”
Salt said she understands there are concerns about funding for another Olympics, but added she believes it would be “amazing” for Canada and Calgary to host the Games.
“We’ve had a legacy for 30 years, so why not continue on with that legacy, and why not use the facilities that we already have, instead of having to build new,” she said.
Edwards and Salt will both participate in the rally, along with other Olympians, at the Telus Convention Centre at noon.
Jason Ribeiro, organizer with the group Yes Calgary 2026, said welcoming Eddie the Eagle to Calgary is a testament to the kind of “cultural moments” and spirit of volunteerism that brought community members together in 1988.
“That is something that we can’t throw in the bin after 30 years,” he said. “That is something that we need to build on.”
The pro- Olympic rally will take place a day before advance polls open for the plebiscite on whether Calgary should bid on the 2026 Winter Olympics, and a week before the Nov. 13 public vote.