The darling of the 2000 Sydney Olympics shares her memories with Lucy Chesterson.
Holding the pink frock that made her famous, Nikki Webster marvels to think how it became one of the most enduring symbols on the Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2000. She can hardly believe she once fitted into the miniature outfit. “I was 13, but I looked about nine!” she laughs.
Indeed, Nikki seemed an impossibly small figure when the world saw her skip to the centre of the Olympic Stadium, in front of the 110, 000-strong crowd filling the venue, and the 3.8 billion watching her on televisions around the globe.
“It still feels like yesterday,” says Nikki, now 23. “I remember every detail of every position I had.”
Nikki stayed tight-lipped about being chosen over 12, 000 others for the role as Hero Girl in the ceremony, which helped Australia take the world by surprise when she soared through the sky. The little girl swimming among the fluoro sea creatures became one of the most fondly remembered moments.
“Everything was on target, despite the fact there was such a lot that could have gone wrong!” Nikki says, with relief that’s obvious even 10 years after her adventure. “The only small thing was a jellyfish bumped into me in the sky and I thought, ‘what’s that doing there? That’s never been there before!’”
But when Nikki’s feet left the earth, the young performer couldn’t have known she’d touch down in a world very different from the one she had left behind. Her flawless performance saw her become Australia’s new media darling. The instant she returned to earth, her young life changed forever.
“It was insane,” Nikki says. “I did my first ever interview at 6am the next morning, and from then on it never stopped.” Reporters from all over the world wanted to meet Nikki. “When I got home there was international media already camped out,” she recalls. “There were people everywhere at my house – on the front lawn, in my bedroom, in the lounge room.”
Over the past 10 years, the spotlight that shone on Nikki has never faded. The performer is now capitalising on her expertise by running a dance school and talent agency in Sydney – Dance @ Nikki Webster and Talent @ Nikki Webster – where she helps other kids realise their dreams.
Stroking the dress, Nikki says, “There’s a replica in a museum, but I keep the real one in a box. People always say I should have it framed, but I never have. It meant so much to so many people. It’s amazing for me to know I can still get it out and hold it in my hands.”
Source: Woman’s Day
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