SYDNEY, Australia – Sydney schoolgirl Nikki Webster became one of the most-watched faces in the world Friday when she appeared as Hero Girl, the biggest nonsporting star of the Olympics opening ceremony.

The 13-year-old aspiring actor had the most demanding role of any of the 12, 600 performers in the hour-long cultural segment: Not only did she act, sing and dance, she also “flew” in a harness about 100 feet into the air in front of 110, 000 spectators and millions of TV viewers.

Like all the performers, Nikki had to sign a confidentiality agreement that meant even her parents didn’t know the full extent of her role until they saw it Friday night.

She was chosen from about 500 hopefuls, a field that was eventually cut to three finalists after the contenders were put through their paces in the dafety harness.

“Flying at the stadium for the first time was amazing,” she said in an interview in The Australian newspaper. “The flying is a bit demanding. There’s lots of practice, especially to stay stright.”

“They took us up very high and we did some swimming strokes. Then I had to sing.”

Her voice and stage presence made her a natual, organizers said.

Opening ceremony artistic director David Atkins said the little girl’s journey, which was used to link all seven sequences of the creative segment, was what held the story together.

She had previous “flying” experience from television commercials.

Despite her youth, the girl is also a showbiz veteran who, according to her agent, started in the entertainment business when she was 5.

Source: Detroit Free Press