Industry players weary from years of battling a poor market were due to be given a lesson in perseverance in Aberdeen this week by a legendary British Olympian.

Michael Edwards, better known as Eddie the Eagle, was set to touch down at Subsea UK’s dinner at the Marcliffe Hotel on Wednesday during Offshore Europe week to tell tales of fighting against the odds and, well, if not quite winning, then at least succeeding.

Edwards gained notoriety by qualifying for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary as a ski jumper, despite having scant experience of the extremely dangerous sport.

His antics on the jumps as well as plucky personality made him an instant hit in the UK and beyond — although it also led to the Olympic Committee cutting off some loopholes to prevent similar occurrences in future events and in the interest of competitor safety.

“Finishing last in the 70 metre and 90 metre events, he became famous as an example of an underdog or ‘heroic failure’, and of perseverance and achievement without funding,” industry body Subsea UK said as it announced that Edwards was lined up as guest speaker.

“Although he did not win an Olympic medal, he did win a place in the hearts of spectators all around the globe. This was ultimately due to his lack of success, but more importantly his pure determination and ‘have a go’ attitude.”

Edwards was the subject of the 2015 movie Eddie the Eagle staring Taron Egerton as the protagonist and Hugh Jackman as his whiskey-swilling fictional trainer and mentor, Bronson Peary.

The real Edwards was the first person to represent Great Britain at ski jumping at the Winter Olympics since 1928. Apart from becoming his country’s ski jumping record holder, he went on to set a stunt jumping world record by ski jumping over six buses.

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