Video and pictures: Oswestry school gets a flying visit from Eddie the Eagle
[gallery] It is 28 years since Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards' Olympic efforts transformed him into a national hero – and now the ski-jumper has been inspiring Shropshire's next generation.
The iconic British sportsman was one of the speakers at the Marches Academy Trust Festival of Education, held in Oswestry and attended by students and teachers from schools across the region.
Although he rose to prominence on British TV screens at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, the story of Eddie's life has been now been seen by a new generation in the film of his life Eddie the Eagle.
Speaking after being mobbed by pupils and staff wanting pictures with him, he said he had been thrilled to share his story, and urged the youngsters to follow their dreams.
He said: "We talked about how I got to Calgary, sleeping in the car, scraping food out of bins, sleeping in a mental hospital, borrowing equipment. I explained it was hard work, dedication, but also resilience and not giving up, and if that meant scraping food out of a bin so I could stay another week and get more jumps in then that was worth doing.
"So, if things get tough do not give up, think of it as a challenge. Don't give up, if people want to do something it is about how badly you want it."
The Festival of Education was the first to take place at the Marches School in Oswestry and is intended to become an annual fixture.
It included speakers for teachers, staff, and pupils, as well as a variety of educational and informative activities, including Life Long Ago, a group teaching pupils about dinosaurs with the help of a giant T-Rex.
Eddie said he was still surprised at the fame he had garnered, having only ever intended to attract enough sponsorship to continue his Olympic dream.
He said: "I always thought I would get a certain amount of attention because I was Britain's first jumper and the sport is so visually impressive. But what I wanted was for it to turn into sponsorship so I could move on to other Olympics. Unfortunately I got to Calgary, became 'Eddie the Eagle' and got more attention than I ever thought, even more than the guy who won it and the authorities didn't like it."
