Champion poet Fope’s camping holiday is interrupted by BBC

Friday, 17 August 2012

Write on: Fope Jegede, 16, read out her poem on the BBC just before the London 2012 closing ceremony

By Mary McConnell

A TEENAGER from Mill Hill starred on the BBC moments before the start of the London 2012 closing ceremony on Sunday evening.

Fope Jegede, 16, who goes to Mill Hill County High School, in Worcester Crescent, wrote poem The Champion’s Story for a school competition last year.

Unbeknown to her, the school’s head of English Kevin Naghten entered the poem into the Mayor of London’s Olympic-themed poetry competition entitled 100 Great Things About The Games.

Fope beat more than 2,000 other youngsters from across London to win the competition.

She was given a tour around the Olympic Park in April with 30 friends and family members as a prize.

While she was camping in Somerset, Fope received a call from BBC producers who wanted to film her reading out the poem.

The clip was shown on BBC1 just before the start of Sunday’s closing ceremony.

“It was quite surreal really,” said Fope. “It didn’t really sink in until I saw it on TV and I saw all the comments that people had made on Facebook.

“I was runner-up in the school competition and then I didn’t even realise that it had been entered into the mayor’s competition.

“When I heard I had won, it was a real shock.”

Fope’s poem, which features a girl who grows up to be a sports champion, is about working hard and having determination to achieve your goals.

“You can achieve anything with hard work – that’s what you need to achieve your dream,” she added.

Fope also enjoyed her exclusive tour of the Olympic Park, in Stratford, east London.

“I thought it was amazing, I just thought ‘wow!’” she added.

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