--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started competing, I was so broke…" description: "\"When I started competing, I was so broke that I had to tie my helmet with a piece of string. On one jump, the string snapped, and my helmet carried on ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99c/eddie-the-eagle-5840_competing_when-i-started-competing-i-was-so-broke_2262708.jpg" --- # When I started competing, I was so broke that I had to tie… ![“When I started competing, I was so broke that I had to tie my helmet with a piece of string. On one jump, the string snapped, and my helmet carried on farther than I did. I may have been the first ski jumper ever beaten by his gear.” quote by Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99c/eddie-the-eagle-5840_competing_when-i-started-competing-i-was-so-broke_2262708.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99c/eddie-the-eagle-5840_competing_when-i-started-competing-i-was-so-broke_2262708.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99c/eddie-the-eagle-5840_competing_when-i-started-competing-i-was-so-broke_2262708.jpg) > “When I started competing, I was so broke that I had to tie my helmet with a piece of string. On one jump, the string snapped, and my helmet carried on farther than I did. I may have been the first ski jumper ever beaten by his gear.” [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He humorously recounts a mishap where his cheap helmet outperformed him, highlighting improvisation and unexpected outcomes. **In simple terms:** A broken helmet outpaced him during a jump. Key Takeaway Embrace resourcefulness and humor in setbacks. Themes sports humor resourcefulness Mood lighthearted reflective Type anecdotal inspirational When to use this quote - ski jumping - budget constraints - equipment failure - learning from mistakes Key Concepts improvisation unexpected success Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn a failure into a funny story? - What does this say about preparation vs. luck? A Different Perspective Even with minimal resources, success can be accidental, not guaranteed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Broke Tie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broke-tie-5212886/) [Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) [Competing Broke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing-broke-5212883/) [Helmet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helmet/) [Jump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jump/) [Ski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ski/) [Snapped Helmet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snapped-helmet-5212884/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-competing-3560796/) [String Snapped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/string-snapped-5212885/) ## Related quotes > [When I started competing, you had to have your coach there. Now you can be coached from a home office via Skype or video.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-joyner-kersee/when-i-started-competing-you-had-to-have-your-coach-there-now-you-can/) [Jackie Joyner-Kersee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-joyner-kersee/) > [When I started competing at X Games, there was so much chaos that often me and my girlfriends would go into the trees and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-anderson/when-i-started-competing-at-x-games-there-was-so-much-chaos-that/) [Jamie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-anderson/) > [I started competing on boxing, so I have my hands. I'm an O.K. wrestler, so why not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cejudo/i-started-competing-on-boxing-so-i-have-my-hands-i-m-an-o-k-wrestler/) [Henry Cejudo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cejudo/) > [In the beginning, it was too easy taking guys down, and I got in my comfort zone, and I've got to do more standup.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-burns/in-the-beginning-it-was-too-easy-taking-guys-down-and-i-got-in-my/) [Gilbert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-burns/) > [I started competing internationally when I was still in school. Every summer I would travel abroad to England because England was the place to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-burke/i-started-competing-internationally-when-i-was-still-in-school-every/) [Cheryl Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-burke/) > [When I started competing, supercross was big in Southern California. So for a guy from Las Vegas to make it, that was big. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-hart/when-i-started-competing-supercross-was-big-in-southern-california-so/) [Carey Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-hart/) > [The sport is definitely growing, and has become much more competitive. When I started, you were either a former swimmer or runner who took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-o-donnell/the-sport-is-definitely-growing-and-has-become-much-more-competitive/) [Timothy O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-o-donnell/) > [I would never think of asking a girl out on the High Street or the disco or at school. But on the ski slope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/i-would-never-think-of-asking-a-girl-out-on-the-high-street-or-the/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/if-there-were-some-people-who-considered-me-a-joke-i-m-sorry-about/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [After my ski jumping career finished, I went back to school to study law, and now I travel between five to 20 times a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/after-my-ski-jumping-career-finished-i-went-back-to-school-to-study/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [I wish they'd build a ski jump at the Grand Canyon; it'd be fantastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/i-wish-they-d-build-a-ski-jump-at-the-grand-canyon-it-d-be-fantastic/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/it-had-been-a-dream-of-mine-to-go-to-an-olympic-games-since-i-was/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [Ski jumping is just 10 per cent physical, 90 per cent mental. Some people can't do that. It's not just to do with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/ski-jumping-is-just-10-per-cent-physical-90-per-cent-mental-some/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [People seemed to appreciate how much I wanted to pursue something I loved. They seemed to understand how much ski jumping meant to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/people-seemed-to-appreciate-how-much-i-wanted-to-pursue-something-i/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/i-want-to-prove-to-the-skeptics-that-i-m-not-a-clown-i-m-very-serious/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) ## More by Eddie the Eagle > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/a-lot-of-people-think-i-m-really-outgoing-and-confident-but-i-m-not-i/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [Most people should be given a chance to compete in the Olympic Games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/most-people-should-be-given-a-chance-to-compete-in-the-olympic-games/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [I want my life to move on. On the other hand, I can't say no to offers, not when I'm getting £50,000 a year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/i-want-my-life-to-move-on-on-the-other-hand-i-can-t-say-no-to-offers/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [You can't have Alan Partridge as Eddie the Eagle!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/you-can-t-have-alan-partridge-as-eddie-the-eagle/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [On the street, I'll hear, 'You made the Olympics for me,' or 'I love what you represented.' Only occasionally is it, 'You were a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/on-the-street-i-ll-hear-you-made-the-olympics-for-me-or-i-love-what/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [It was while I was in the mental hospital that I got my letter from the British Olympic Association saying, 'Congratulations. You've been picked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/it-was-while-i-was-in-the-mental-hospital-that-i-got-my-letter-from/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [I'm a positive person who likes to have fun and get the best out of every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/i-m-a-positive-person-who-likes-to-have-fun-and-get-the-best-out-of/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [I have never, ever considered myself a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/i-have-never-ever-considered-myself-a-failure/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [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.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/you-ve-got-to-think-life-can-give-you-some-bad-knocks-no-matter-how/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [Life is good, and I'm happy, and I don't know that it would be as good if I'd been the winner in Calgary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/life-is-good-and-i-m-happy-and-i-don-t-know-that-it-would-be-as-good/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [I've hated poetry ever since I was at school. I include Shakespeare in that. I don't understand the obsession with him!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/i-ve-hated-poetry-ever-since-i-was-at-school-i-include-shakespeare-in/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [I don't like bullies or selfishness or people who are grumpy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/i-don-t-like-bullies-or-selfishness-or-people-who-are-grumpy/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [I can't explain my popularity. I suppose I'm just an ordinary bloke, and a lot of people see a little bit of Eddie in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/i-can-t-explain-my-popularity-i-suppose-i-m-just-an-ordinary-bloke/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [My dentist said my teeth were wearing away at the back because I couldn't bite. My top jaw was broken and brought forward, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/my-dentist-said-my-teeth-were-wearing-away-at-the-back-because-i/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [When people make fun, it doesn't bother me. I've always enjoyed a laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/when-people-make-fun-it-doesn-t-bother-me-i-ve-always-enjoyed-a-laugh/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) [Explore all 100 Eddie the Eagle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) ## More Competing quotes > [When you reach that competing point, when you reach that time when the gun is about to go off, everyone's level is pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/when-you-reach-that-competing-point-when-you-reach-that-time-when-the/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/) [Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/) > [I competed every day as a professional football player... You've got to like competing. That's how your team gets better, when you have competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-competed-every-day-as-a-professional-football-player-you-ve-got-to/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [There are 16 year olds competing at the olympics and i still push on pull doors & struggle getting through the whole day without a nap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-eastwood/there-are-16-year-olds-competing-at-the-olympics-and-i-still-push-on/) [Scott Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-eastwood/) > [I love nothing more than going out there and competing. And baseball's my outlet to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-fried/i-love-nothing-more-than-going-out-there-and-competing-and-baseball-s/) [Max Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-fried/) > [I've always worked closely with the designers and whoever's making the costumes. Comfort is the last thing you want on your mind when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-yamaguchi/i-ve-always-worked-closely-with-the-designers-and-whoever-s-making/) [Kristi Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-yamaguchi/) > [I don't think anybody who carries a rifle carries the future. Because I don't believe that you can really change the world by killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/i-don-t-think-anybody-who-carries-a-rifle-carries-the-future-because/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [America breeds ambition and while that can be a good thing, sometimes it's not. Ambition also breeds competition and that can be a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaka-khan/america-breeds-ambition-and-while-that-can-be-a-good-thing-sometimes/) [Chaka Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaka-khan/) > [I'll miss the competitive side and the camaraderie of being around the players and competing each and every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scottie-pippen/i-ll-miss-the-competitive-side-and-the-camaraderie-of-being-around/) [Scottie Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scottie-pippen/) > [Being away from the game and just remembering why I love competing and all of that, I think it helped me tremendously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-keys/being-away-from-the-game-and-just-remembering-why-i-love-competing/) [Madison Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-keys/) > [Competing is intense among humans, and within a group, selfish individuals always win. But in contests between groups, groups of altruists always beat groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/competing-is-intense-among-humans-and-within-a-group-selfish/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [We're competing against other great cities: Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo. That's why it's important that we all join together on the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-daley/we-re-competing-against-other-great-cities-madrid-rio-de-janeiro-and/) [Richard M. Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-daley/) > [That this is not a sense of innovation and competition increasing prices because some other company is coming in and competing with Martin Shkreli.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ann-reid/that-this-is-not-a-sense-of-innovation-and-competition-increasing/) [Joy-Ann Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ann-reid/) > [Some people steal from others, or defraud them, or enslave them, seizing their product and preventing them from living as they choose, or forcibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-nozick/some-people-steal-from-others-or-defraud-them-or-enslave-them-seizing/) [Robert Nozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-nozick/) [Browse all 1,003 Competing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I started competing, I was so broke that I had to tie my helmet with a piece of string. On one jump, the string snapped, and my helmet carried on farther than I did. I may have been the first ski jumper ever beaten by his gear.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eddie the Eagle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/when-i-started-competing-i-was-so-broke-that-i-had-to-tie-my-helmet/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Competing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/when-i-started-competing-i-was-so-broke-that-i-had-to-tie-my-helmet/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99c/eddie-the-eagle-5840_competing_when-i-started-competing-i-was-so-broke_2262708.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99c/eddie-the-eagle-5840_competing_when-i-started-competing-i-was-so-broke_2262708.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99c/eddie-the-eagle-5840_competing_when-i-started-competing-i-was-so-broke_2262708.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I started competing, I was so broke that I had to tie my helmet with a piece of string. On one jump…” — Eddie the Eagle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eddie the Eagle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I started competing, I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/when-i-started-competing-i-was-so-broke-that-i-had-to-tie-my-helmet/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/when-i-started-competing-i-was-so-broke-that-i-had-to-tie-my-helmet/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```