This article is from page 61 of the 2008-08-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 61 JPG
ALISHA O’Keeffe (9) from Parteen, knew she had a real scoop on her hands as the budding young journal- ist took off at the weekend for her first and biggest assignment – cover- ing the Olympics in Beijing.
Alisha, a keen sports fan, will par- ticipate in a once in a lifetime OI- ympic experience which will see her attending the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing where she will report back on her experiences as a very special journalist.
Alisha’s entry was picked from
hundreds of children aged between 6 and 14 years of age who entered the competition run by McDonald’s and The Sunday World, with entrants be- ing asked to write an article on the Olympic Games.
Alisha said that she has always been a fan of the Olympics and couldn’t wait to enter the competition.
“I’m really excited by the Beiing Olympics and I just can’t wait to get there. I’d really love to meet some of the Irish athletes and I hope they do really well. I’ll certainly be cheering them all on’, the cub reporter said before leaving. ”
The prize is for one child and an adult and it includes a five night stay in Beijing as well as sightseeing trips to Beying zoo, the Great Wall and kite flying at the Temple of Heaven. While at the Games, Alisha will also meet Olympic athletes, attend an Olympic event as well as the post – medal ceremony event and will have the opportunity to experience Chi- nese culture.
According to Claire Lynch, Mc- Donald’s Ireland, “The McDonald’s Champion Kids programme provides a once in a lifetime opportunity for Alisha to be a part of the 2008 OI-
ympic Games. Children from across Ireland participated in the competi- tion and selecting the winner proved to be a very tough job. However, Al- isha’s entry stood out due to her ex- cellent writing skills and her obvious enthusiasm and passion for sports and I’m looking forward to reading her report back”’.