olympics – Nikki Webster Press Archive

Nikki Webster 20 years on: How the opening ceremony changed everything

Aug 16, 2020Mar 3, 2022 2020, Olympics No Comments

Thirteen-year-old Nikki Webster had kept her starring role in the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony a secret from her parents. Then they sat down to watch.

By Sarah Keoghan

Her name is now synonymous with the Sydney Olympics but a few hours before the opening ceremony of the 2000 Games, few had heard of Nikki Webster.

A few hours after it, the 13-year-old was everywhere. Wearing a pink dress with white flowers, such was Webster’s starring role as the Hero Girl of the Sydney opening ceremony, her fame exploded overnight.

It caught Webster by surprise, but for her parents Tina and Mark it was a shock.

Though aware their young dancer, through a long audition process and months of rehearsals, would have a role in the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony, they had been deliberately kept in the dark on the fact Nikki was playing a pivotal role.

Tina and Mark watched on in disbelief as Nikki, bathed in spotlight, skipped across the giant stage and soared through the air, but it was only on their very non-VIP trip home from ANZ Stadium – on the train – that it all hit home.

“On the way home, people were handing out free papers. Mum and Dad opened the paper and it was full of me,” she said.

Twenty years on, Webster can hardly believe the level of fame that settled on her so quickly.

But to land the part, she had to go up against thousands of hopefuls during an exhaustive audition process.

“I reckon if there was a reality show back then – it should have been about the Hero Girl auditions,” she said. “Every young girl that you could imagine was there, every girl you had auditioned against for musicals, for tv commercials, it was a massive casting call.”

Continue reading Nikki Webster 20 years on: How the opening ceremony changed everything

Sydney Catholic teacher’s place in Olympic history

Aug 15, 2016Aug 16, 2016 2016 No Comments

By Sharyn McCowen

Nikki Webster performs at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Photo: Craig Golding, Fairfax Syndication

Every four years, St John Bosco College teacher Maria Millward is reminded of her Olympic success.

She didn’t win a medal, break a record or represent her country in the pool, track or field.

But her work was witnessed by an estimated 3.6 billion people around the world as part of the opening ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Maria, together with her brother Damien Halloran, composed Under Southern Skies, which went on to become one of Nikki Webster’s iconic performances of the opening ceremony.

The Engadine English teacher drew on her Catholic faith, the Australian landscape, Indigenous cultures, and the potential of young people in crafting what she calls a “deeply spiritual song”.

“When I wrote it I wanted to incorporate the idea of the connection with the land, and the Indigenous perspective,” she said.

“There is a line that says, ‘There is a great spirit rising from the desert to the sea’, and that is very meaningful.

“For me, the Olympics represents a time when everyone comes together. No matter where you are in the world, people come together to celebrate opportunities for peace.

“It was written with a focus on young people, how young people are the future.”

Maria enlisted members of the Bosco choir to record a demo of the song, which was selected from more than 4000 submissions.

“We were very excited,” she said. “I was especially excited for students and the community, who had put so much into supporting it.”

“It goes to show that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things.”

While most of her current students weren’t born when Sydney hosted the Olympics, one member of the choir which recorded the demo has since joined Maria in the English department at St John Bosco College.

With every new opening ceremony, Maria is reminded of her little place in Olympic history.

“It’s always exciting, and it always brings back that joy,” she said.

She has been following Australia’s success in Rio, and took time out from marking to watch 18-year-old Kyle Chalmers win gold in the 100m freestyle in his maiden Olympics.

“That was inspiring,” she said.

“I really feel that with young people that their lives are so full of potential, and we need to empower them to believe that they can make a difference in the world.

“That’s what the song was about.”

Source: catholicweekly.com.au

Nikki’s ceremony

Jul 26, 2012Oct 28, 2014 2012 No Comments

HERMIONE KITSON: Well, just days away from the Olympics opening ceremony, it might be hard to believe that twelve years have already passed since Sydney was the focus of the world’s attention, and at the center of it all was a tiny girl, Nikki Webster, who drew thunderous applause playing a crucial role in a ceremony that people are still talking about.

[footage plays]

Our introduction to Nikki Webster came as a surprise and was watched by billions of people. At just 13, she was barely a speck as she flew through the skies above Sydney Olympic Stadium and into a nation’s heart.

NIKKI WEBSTER: No-one knew that I was gonna fly up, so it was like a total… amazing for the whole audience.

It launched a career as a bubblegum pop star. And that tiny schoolgirl grew before our eyes. Sometimes a little too quickly. But for Nikki Webster, what started with an Olympics has led to a life doing what she dreamed of at age five: performing.

[footage ends]

HERMIONE: And Nikki joins us now on the desk. Welcome, Nikki.

NIKKI: Thank-you.

HERMIONE: How do you feel when you see that opening ceremony vision now?

NIKKI: It just brings back amazing memories. I mean it was such an incredible fantasy to be a part of, to play that Hero Girl that connected the whole opening ceremony and to hold that role, was incredible and it was memories that I’ll never forget. I was so blessed to be working with such an incredible team in Australia. And just the whole atmosphere on the night was electric and I’m so excited to see London’s opening ceremony.

BRAD McEWAN: Nikki that was 12 years ago though, do you still get recognized, you know in the supermarket people look at you and go, “Was that you or wasn’t that you?”

NIKKI: Yeah, I still get… A lot of people go, “You look like Nikki Webster,” and I say, “That’s ’cause I am,” and they go, “No you’re not!” And then I never know how to answer. But I definitely, depending on how I look on the day, if I’m looking really scraggly I get away with it but if I actually have make-up on then I do get recognized.

ANGELA BISHOP: It led to so many other career opportunities for you of course. You had an absolutely fantastic pop career and today, with all of the Jackson family in the news today, it’s a good time to remember you actually performed a duet with Michael Jackson…

NIKKI: I did!

ANGELA: And then went back to his room.

NIKKI: I did, I went back to his room that he gave to me.

BRAD: Really?!

NIKKI: That was before the Olympics!

ANGELA: Nothing sinister.

BRAD: No, no, no, but really?

NIKKI: Yeah! We had M&M fights in his hotel room and I was lucky enough to sing Heal The World with him on his last HIStory Tour in Australia, on stage. So I’ve got wonderful memories. I’ve been so lucky. I’ve traveled around the world with my music and performing, performed with such Australian icons as well, so I’m very lucky.

HERMIONE: The focus now for you is your dancing schools, you’ve got two different ones.

NIKKI: That’s right, I have. Two dance studios, Dance @ Nikki Webster – one in Sydney and now we’ve just opened one on the Central Coast. So I’m teaching kids, I’m seeing such inspirational children and it’s really, I guess rekindled my love of performing to see them and teach them what I can along the way.

BRAD: Let’s get back to Sydney. You must have the most wonderful memories and have met so many special people being out there.

NIKKI: I have met the most incredible people. But I’m kind of sitting here thinking, do I recognize you Hermione? Were you…?

ANGELA: Aaah, yes! [laughs]

HERMIONE: No, no, no.

NIKKI: Were you a part of the opening ceremony in anything?

HERMIONE: I was, I was a part of the Eternity section.

NIKKI: The Eternity!

HERMIONE: With the Tap Dogs, tapping in the old boots.

ANGELA: I think co-stars is the term we’re looking for, here.

HERMIONE: I was just one of the very many others dancing around Nikki.

NIKKI: It wouldn’t have happened without you, that’s for sure. It was everybody, it was teamwork!

HERMIONE: But I agree with you, the atmosphere was absolutely amazing. And just to be a part of what was going to be a huge Games, and yeah it was fantastic.

NIKKI: Yeah, it certainly was and I have these memories for life and I just, you know, I can’t wait to tell everybody throughout my life about the opportunities I had and the people I met from around the world that came to be a part of the opening ceremony.

BRAD: What about after the Games? You had a single that I remember…

NIKKI: I did! I did Strawberry Kisses.

BRAD: I remember it! Strawberry Kisses!

NIKKI: Yeah that little song Strawberry Kisses. That was my biggest hit, probably one of my funnest tracks. And then I did four albums, um, I did Wizard of Oz.

ANGELA: Wizard of Oz, with Bert Newton.

NIKKI: With the amazing Bert. I did tours, I had a clothing range in Kmart, which was the highest-selling girls range, so the Olympics really started and launched such a wonderful career for me, and a journey. It was all, you know, every step of the way was something new and fun.

ANGELA: What advice would you have to any young person who gets that kind of stardom? You know, you’ve grown up, you’re a role model, you haven’t fallen to pieces, you know. What advice would you give?

NIKKI: Family’s always there for you, you know, never forget that, and enjoy the journey. There are gonna be people that wanna take a piece of you, but really kind of work out… if your gut instinct is telling you no, then I would say that that’s something to really follow. And enjoy it! It happens once, enjoy it and see where it takes you.

BRAD: Wonderful.

HERMIONE: Nikki thank you so much for taking a trip down memory lane with us, we really appreciate it!

NIKKI: Oh, it’s wonderful! It’s such an electric time of the year and I wish all the athletes the best of luck.

Source: Ten Late News
Video: YouTube
Screencaps: Gallery

Various mentions: Sydney 2000 Olympics

Jan 27, 2012Aug 6, 2016 2012 No Comments

Inside the Maracana Stadium during the Rio Olympic opening ceremony – news.com.au, August 7, 2016

Some of the dancers and acrobats were worth watching too but I found myself tuning out a bit when the young boy filling the Nikki Webster role started wandering around in a maze of mirrors.

Rio Olympics opening ceremony highlights: Gisele Bundchen, goon bags, teen rapper and oily Tongan – foxsports.com.au, August 6, 2016

THE KID

TWELVE year old Brazilian rapper MC Soffia went from viral sensation to performing in front of a global audience of millions.

The Sao Paulo youngster’s songs about black pride and female empowerment have struck a chord with fellow youngsters. Her instant ascension into the world spotlight mirrored that of Sydney 13-year-old Nikki Webster, who played a significant role in the Sydney opening ceremony 16 years ago.

Here’s What You Missed From The Rio Opening Ceremony – junkee.com, August 6, 2016

Recent opening ceremonies have become increasingly extravagant affairs. Who could forget the Queen of England throwing herself out of a helicopter, or the sight of thousands of Chinese performers moving in perfect harmony like their lives literally depended on it? Not to mention Sydney, where we had Nikki Webster and an Olympic cauldron that got stuck halfway up a waterfall. So yeah, good luck topping that.

7 Craziest Moments From Past Olympic Opening Ceremonies – cbs8.com, August 5, 2016

4. Sydney 2000 — Deep Sea Adventure

Australia put on a quite a show for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, wowing the masses with its deep sea dreaming segment — and confusing everyone when a young Nikki Webster conked out in the middle of the stadium to start the performance.

Brazil’s party beats our party pies – SMH.com.au, July 5, 2014

For our part, Qatar has a date with destiny in 2022 that should rightfully have been Australia’s. But even as we settle for the 2015 Asian Cup, I still wonder if we would really do justice to the madness of the biggest festival in “football”.

We would probably draw up boring mascots, make an aged Nikki Webster fly again and get the Australian Youth Orchestra to sing Midnight Oil or something like that. Thrilling. But it would not involve the displacement of thousands upon thousands of homeless people (well, maybe a few), protests in the street or infrastructure collapsing. We are a bit boring like that.

SCG farewells baseball and welcomes ghosts of the past – SMH.com.au, March 24, 2014

According to NSW Minister for Sport and Recreation Gabrielle Upton, the arrival of ”the Big Show” was the “biggest” thing to happen to Sydney since Nikki Webster magically glided through the air at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Philip Barker: Sochi 2014 produced Opening Ceremony to give you goosebumps – Inside the Games, February 8, 2014

It was precisely 20:14 hours when it all began.The sound of Borodin’s haunting Polovtsian Dances accompanied the ascent of a little girl called Luvov, played by 11-year-old Liza Temnikova from Krasnodar, a would be Olympic gymnast. Her flight on the high wire recalled the performance of Australian youngster Nikki Webster, who also flew through the air at the Sydney 2000 Summer Games.

“What mattered most was to have a little girl, not a woman,” said artistic director Andrei Boltenko. “It was a heavy workload for Liza but we decided to take the risk. We wanted her to be kind and human.”

Report: St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Melbourne 2014 – Faster Louder, February 1, 2014

As always, Al Montfort threatened to overshadow Dick Diver’s music with his droning, deadpan chat, and Laneway was no different. He encouraged vigilante attacks on Education Minister Christopher Pyne, and promised the crowd a Lorde duet, with the New Zealand star descending to the stage via a zipline, “just like Nikki Webster at the Sydney Olympics.”

The Sovereign Wife – milkbarmag.com, July 16, 2013

Genevieve Wood: What’s the best Australian costume moment?
Owen Phillips: I really don’t think you can go past Nikki Webster’s pink hibiscus dress circa Sydney 2000. Not many other people could have pulled that colour off as well as she did.

High Contrast: unsung hero of the Olympics – inthemix.com.au, July 31, 2012

With a performance from the Arctic Monkeys and a Hey Jude rendition from Beatle Paul McCartney rounding out the Ceremony, London’s impressive efforts have been lauded one of the best Olympic openers ever – but hey, we’ll always have Nikki Webster.

Greatest opening ceremony moments – BigPond Sport, July 27, 2012

4. Nikki Webster sings “Under the Southern Skies” – Sydney 2000
Webster went from being a regular 13-year old schoolgirl to an international superstar after her various roles at the opening ceremony in Sydney. She participated in an act which encapsulated the country’s love of the beach, and another which highlighted Australia’s Aboriginal heritage. But it was her singing of “Under the Southern Skies” which particularly caught the attention of the crowd, and the world. Organisers were so impressed with her performance that she was asked to sing at the closing ceremony. She then landed a deal with record company BMG.

London Olympic Stadium hits home straight – The Australian, January 27, 2012

“That Sydney opening was a benchmark,” [Rod] Sheard says. “It broke the boundaries for all opening ceremonies when that little girl (singer Nikki Webster) lifted off the pitch. Since then all opening and closing ceremonies have gone aerial and quite right, too. Why have a show that’s two-dimensional in a space that’s three-dimensional? You want to use it and Beijing used it spectacularly (with gymnast Li Ning “running” around the roof of the stadium to light the cauldron)

Asian Games: China ready to dazzle again – India Today, November 12, 2010

Just to jog the readers’ memory, children have played a key role in opening ceremonies. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Nikki Webster had created a wave and in 2008 in Beijing, Lin Miaoke was the talking point.

Starting with a bang – China Daily, November 11, 2010

Children have always been the most talented performers at the opening ceremonies of major international tournaments such as Nikki Webster at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and Lin Miaoke at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It is not difficult to predict the Guangzhou Asian Games will also feature some talented children performers at the opening ceremony.

Great Olympic musical deceptions of our time – The Age, August 24, 2008

SOCOG officials had ordered pre-recorded backing tapes for the entire ceremony to ensure nothing could go wrong on Sydney’s big night.

This included Nikki Webster’s solo, Under Southern Skies and Human Nature and Julie Anthony singing the national anthem.

“You simply can’t embarrass yourself on the world stage – you must do whatever you can to make it perfect,” the source said.

Nikki Webster’s piece was recorded in July, almost three months before the ceremony.

Olympic Games: Week 1 – The Drum Opinion, August 18, 2008

I was mildly surprised to learn the opening ceremony team had digitally altered some of the fireworks effects for the broadcast. And though I didn’t notice it at the time – I’d fallen into a deep coma around hour three – I can’t believe the young girl, nine-year-old Lin Miaoke, who sung her little heart out and became the pride of China, was a fraud. A dirty, lying, lip-synching little fraud.

How could any Opening Ceremony organizer be so brazen as to perpetrate such a gross misleading of the viewing public, by having someone lip-synch at the games? Next they’ll be telling us the darling of the Sydney 2000 opening ceremony, Nikki Webster, can’t really fly!

Off The Field – SMH.com.au, August 15, 2008

It was also revealed that the sweet nine-year-old shown singing a stirring rendition of “Ode to the Motherland” at the opening ceremony – a la Nikki Webster at the Sydney Olympics – was in fact only mouthing the words. Moreover, she wasn’t even lip syncing to her own voice. Authorities later admitted that Lin Miaoke was just chosen to be the public face of Yang Peiyi, the girl with the voice of an angel, but with the teeth of a developing seven-year-old.

Not only were the Olympic Fireworks fake, so was the 7 year old singer – The Inquisitr, August 12, 2008

The news that television footage of the fireworks shown outside the stadium at the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony were computer generated fakes has spread online in the last 48 hours, but the latest news will be an even bigger shock: the 7 year old girl singing (China’s version of Nikki Webster) was not only miming, but the voice played wasn’t hers.

Talking Heads – Meryl Tankard – Talking Heads ABC TV, August 11, 2008

“I directed the first section of the Olympic Ceremony, Deep Sea Dreaming. Came up with the idea of having that little girl flying, Nikki Webster. I wanted to make the whole stadium look like it was underwater. Choreography is so different in that situation, because you’ve got 2,000 people, so you have to just think of it as a big painting.” – Meryl Tankard

Duck boy awes them – The Age, March 16, 2006

Sean Whitford is a precocious and dedicated talent, with Les Miserables and The Lion King already on his CV.

But, just as Nikki Webster will never grow up from — or live down — being the Dream Girl of the Sydney Olympics, after last night he will be forever known as the Melbourne Commonwealth Games Boy with the Duck.

The hits and misses of Sydney events – smh.com.au, January 15, 2005

The hits

* Three key moments from the Sydney Olympic opening ceremony: the lone horseman rides into the arena; Nikki Webster takes to the air; Cathy Freeman lights the Olympic cauldron.

Heeler loses faith in Gold – The Age, May 11, 2003

“The new image of Australian culture is a feminine image,” [Alan] McKee said, noting that the face of Australia in the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony was Nikki Webster. “It’s not surprising that the most popular icons of Australian identity, which is obviously in some way what the Logie winners are, are the people who are not just women, but you look at the kind of images of people winning them. It’s Lisa McCune, it’s Georgie Parker – they’re nice, kind, sweet, generous, they bring people in, they listen to them, they understand them. These are the qualities that we are celebrating.”

Diva Las Vegas – The Sun-Herald, March 30, 2003

She even took a note out of Nikki Webster’s book and flew high above the stage on wires during one number.

Nikki Webster 10 years on – It’s still my favourite frock

Sep 27, 2010Mar 3, 2022 2010, Headline, Olympics Comments Off

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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Webster’s warning

Mar 8, 2006Jun 14, 2011 2006 Comments Off

SYDNEY Olympics teen performer Nikki Webster has warned next week’s young opening ceremony stars to get thick skins in preparation for the knocks to come.

Webster says Australia turned on her after the 2000 Games and she thinks she’ll never outlive the stigma.

“For a 13-year-old who’s just represented their country . . . to be knocked by your country wasn’t the nicest thing,” she said yesterday.

“Hopefully Australia has learnt from my experience and learnt how much it damages and hurts young children.

“Hopefully it’s all over because it is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”

Webster, now 18, sang and soared before a TV audience of billions at the 2000 Olympics opening ceremony.

She says the Olympic cauldron was barely cold before the sniping began.

“I’d gone from over-the-top nice comments like ‘She’s our hero’ to the total opposite.

“People didn’t want to get to know me and give me a fair go.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m 45 years old, there’s always going to be that stigma.”

In 2000, after the Games, Webster sang at the Melbourne Cup and was profiled on 60 Minutes. Since then, she has had one hit single, in 2001, and seven others that missed the top 10.

A suggestive photo shoot for men’s magazine FHM caused a stir a month before her 18th birthday.

Webster urged children in the ceremony to cherish their moment in the spotlight.

“I still lay there at night thinking about what it was like walking out in the middle of the arena and looking around at everyone.

“Get out and have fun. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Source: The Daily Telegraph

Webster Inc: The Olympics Were Child’s Play

Sep 8, 2001Oct 19, 2022 2001, Olympics, The Wizard of Oz No Comments

By Deborah Cameron

A year after the best Games ever, the Herald tallies the final scorecard for the Olympics and assesses the lasting legacy. Today, Deborah Cameron reports on the big business that is the tiny star who who enchanted the world at the Opening Ceremony.

Ric Birch, the director of Olympic ceremonies, picked her to be the elfin child who would fly over the stadium. He thought she had enough grit to stand alone in the middle of the field at the start of the opening ceremony and enchant the world-wide audience.

That luminous moment nearly 12 months ago transformed the life of Nikki Webster, 14.

It is now a micro-managed timetable with the balance struck by parents who, when need be, quote the Department of Community Services child labour laws.

After almost 10 years as a child star (her first role was in a Twisties commercial when she was five), Nikki Webster has more money in her bank account than her parents. Around her a tight group has assembled to manage her professional schedule, business interests, schooling and book her time, including time off.

“Honestly I have never known anyone, and I mean anyone, who is as busy,” said Judith Johnson, publicist for Webster’s latest vehicle, The Wizard of Oz.

Continue reading Webster Inc: The Olympics Were Child’s Play

60 Minutes live chat

Oct 15, 2000Oct 19, 2022 2000, Olympics, Web Chats No Comments

Ninemsn in association with 60 Minutes presents a live interview with Nikki Webster, young star of the Olympics opening ceremony.

Host amicus_9msn: Nikki, welcome to our interview tonight in cyberspace.

Host Nikki Webster: Hello, I’m free to talk.

Host amicus_9msn: Nikki, let’s get right to the questions from our chatters. Everyone has been awaiting your arrival eagerly.

dazza: Nikki, how many hours a day went into rehearsals for the Olympic ceremony?

Host Nikki Webster: For the opening ceremony there were about two to three rehearsals a week, basically of a night-time, for about two-and-a-half hours, and for the closing, I only had about two or three rehearsals up, and as it got closer to the opening ceremony, there were about four rehearsals a week.

cnb: Nikki, how have you found being in the spotlight of the media now?

Host Nikki Webster: It’s been pretty amazing and it’s all come up quite quickly, but it’s all been such a great experience. Continue reading 60 Minutes live chat

Jumping for joy

Oct 2, 2000Mar 20, 2018 2000, Featured No Comments

Sydney schoolgirl and showbiz tyro Nikki Webster finds fame after her gravity-defying performance at the opening ceremony

On Sept. 17, Mark and Tina Webster did what they do most Sundays: took their children, Nikki, 13, and Scott, 16, to the movies. But this time all the stars weren’t on the screen. As the Websters strolled in Sydney’s busy Broadway shopping centre, they realised people were staring and pointing at Nikki. Soon she was besieged by autograph-seekers. “Everyone kept coming up to me and saying how great I was,” beams Nikki. “It makes me think they enjoyed the show.”

And how. The Olympic opening ceremony at Stadium Australia was acclaimed as the best ever, and stealing the extravaganza was Nikki Webster who, as Hero Girl, danced, sang, and soared her way into the hearts of billions. Since her triumph, the world’s media have flocked to the Webster’s two-storey weather-board home in a quiet, nondescript street in Croydon Park, just minutes by car from Homebush Bay. Nikki rattles off the names of some who queued to interview her: “Katie Couric, Steve Liebmann, Andrew Daddo…” On the kitchen table are a dozen bouquets sent from well-wishers, including Lisa McCune and the cast of The Sound of Music. “The house,” says Mark, 40, an electrician, “is looking like a florist shop.”
Continue reading Jumping for joy

Nikki scales the heights and a star is born

Sep 17, 2000Oct 19, 2022 2000, Olympics No Comments

SHE is the face of the Opening Ceremony.

The Opening Ceremony and her flight through the air have made her famous, but Nikki Webster is keeping her feet firmly on the ground.

Nikki, 13, relaxed yesterday at her home in Sydney’s inner west.

“It was amazing to be such a big part of the ceremony,” said Nikki. “And doing a press conference and live TV was just like being in the movies, but I’m still the same – I’m enjoying it all but it won’t change me.”

She captured our hearts on Friday night, sent our pulses racing as she swam through the air and shivers down our spines with her rendition of Under Southern Skies.

She was watched by a worldwide television audience of almost four billion people, but yesterday Nikki was just like any other 13-year-old as she took it easy with her proud parents, Tina and Mark, her 16-year-old brother Scott, and her dog, appropriately named Star.

Nikki beat off strong competition to win the role in the Opening Ceremony, but she has one special talent in her favour – she knew how to fly. She said: “I have flown before for a TV ad, but it wasn’t as high up as 25m. My gymnastics helped, too, so it came pretty easy to me.”

So easy, in fact, she wanted to fly even higher. “It was an amazing experience. I would have gone higher if I could. I felt safe and secure in the harness. I just told them when I was ready to be lifted. Singing live was amazing too.” There were no butterflies when she was suspended 25m in the air above the giant stadium.

Nikki, who sang a duet with Michael Jackson in 1996, said: “I met him during his HIStory tour with my dance company. We had a big M&M fight. He was great fun.”

Nikki has also starred as Brigitta in The Sound of Music beside Lisa McCune and John Waters and appeared as the young Cosette in Les Miserables.

But the Olympics has helped her fulfill her biggest ambition – to record a CD. Her song, Under Southern Skies, will feature on the Olympic album

– Vickie Maye

View scan of this article

Source: Sydney Morning Herald