Larne gymnast Kadia wins Northern Ireland talent contest

Gymnast Kadia Maklin, aged 13, from Larne in who has been announced as the winner of a talent contest by the charity Crimestoppers youth service, Fearless. (Submitted picture)

Thirteen-year-old Kadia Maklin said she hopes her achievement will help highlight the sport she loves and encourage others to try gymnastics.

Kadia said: “I’m really excited and happy to have won the competition. The prizes are amazing.

“I love gymnastics and have done it since I was little. It’s my favourite sport and I hope that by winning, more people will get to know sport.”

The contest for 11-16 year-olds promoted the service and website Fearless.org and encouraged young people to upload clips of up to two minutes showcasing their skills to YouTube. A number of entries were received with talents including singing, song writing, gymnastics and dancing.

The prize for talented Kadia is a bundle worth £250 that consisted of an action camera, JD Sports vouchers, Nandos vouchers, Amazon vouchers and cinema tickets.

Fearless was launched in 2010 with the aim of engaging with and educating young people about the consequences of their choices and the punishments that could be handed down if they are found guilty of a crime.

The website also allows them to give information about crime 100% anonymously using a secure online form on the site.

Part of the redevelopment of Fearless.org has included a section dedicated to professionals that work with young people, enabling them to access a selection of our free educational teaching resources.

Fearless Coordinator Christopher Onwuzo said: “This is a brilliant event for Fearless. It’s been great to highlight the talents of the young people of Northern Ireland in such a positive way.

“Sadly young people are often portrayed in a negative light, but this competition has been very much about encouraging and engaging with them positively. Through this, we can work toward our ultimate goal in supporting young people to make informed decisions about reporting crime.”

*Did you know?

Crimestoppers, which began in 1988, is an independent charity helping communities to ‘Speak up. Stay safe.’ Its 0800 555 111 telephone number and website crimestoppers-uk.org gives people the power to speak up and pass on information about crime 100% anonymously. Alongside their national campaigns, they have hundreds of volunteers across the UK who help them promote their services to those that need to hear about them.

Every region of the UK has a Crimestoppers team responsible for raising awareness of their charity and running local campaigns.