Quotes from Eddie the Eagle

I was exemplifying the Olympian who took up a challenge as a sportsman, without a trainer, in a country without mountains and without snow. And, inside of two years, I was representing my country.

I made my dream come true despite all the obstacles - no money, no training, no skis, no snow.

I had no money, no training facilities, no snow, no ski jumps, no trainer, but I still managed to ski jump for my country - and getting there was my gold medal.

For all my 'Eddie the Eagle' goofing around before the camera while in training for the Calgary Olympics in 1988, I was never less than 100 per cent serious on every single jump.

A lot of people think I'm really outgoing and confident, but I'm not. I'd much rather sit in a corner and read my book and my paper. I'm quite happy with my own company.

I want to prove to the skeptics that I'm not a clown. I'm very serious about what I do. I want to be a good ski jumper who has a sense of humor.

I was like the George Clooney of the ski business.

It takes a lot of guts to jump. If people criticise, I would give them a set of skis and say, 'Do it yourself then.'

That James Bond movie? The one where Bond skis off a cliff, shucks his skis, and parachutes to the ground? That's for me. That's what I want to be. A stuntman in a Bond movie.

I wish they'd build a ski jump at the Grand Canyon; it'd be fantastic.

People seemed to appreciate how much I wanted to pursue something I loved. They seemed to understand how much ski jumping meant to me.

I try to keep fit, as it's better for both skiing and plastering. I cycle and jog and I dance a lot - Ceroc, a form of modern jive.

I travelled the world because of the way people saw me at the Olympics.

I would never think of asking a girl out on the High Street or the disco or at school. But on the ski slope, I would chat to all the girls.

I receive kindness every day. I love to smile when I'm out and about, and if someone smiles back, which happens about half the time, I think that's an act of kindness every couple of minutes in my day.

You have to take the rough with the smooth - that's what ski-jumping is all about. You always expect the worst.

You've got to think life can give you some bad knocks; no matter how hard you're knocked, you've got to get up.

I don't want to look like Michael Jackson.

It had been a dream of mine to go to an Olympic Games since I was about seven years old. I didn't know I'd do it ski jumping, but that's how it turned out.

If there were some people who considered me a joke, I'm sorry about that. But I did not do it for any other reason except that I loved to ski jump, and I had hopes that by my doing it, other people in my country would take up the sport.

I think because I'm so naturally happy and unaffected and open, people thought I didn't take the jumping seriously. You're up that high, believe me - you take it very seriously.

As a child, I was always getting into risky situations with the potential to hurt myself, but mum and dad never stopped me doing what I wanted to do, and they assumed that if I fell and hurt myself, I would learn from that and maybe not do it again.

I don't regard myself as an entertainer. I don't think that's where my talents lie. It always feels a bit uncomfortable.

Maybe I am a little bit of a clown, but I am also a serious sportsman.