Owayne beaming with confidence
Published:Wednesday | June 2, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Noel Thompson, Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Eleven-year-old Owayne Rodney woke up much earlier than usual on Sunday, but this time in a different parish and for one of the most important reasons in his life.
Young Owayne, the 2010 Gleaner Spelling Bee champion, left the island on Sunday morning for Baltimore in the United States to compete against approximately 200 other spellers in the Scripps International Spelling Bee Competition.
"I feel very happy that God has given me the chance to go overseas and represent my country," said Owayne, beaming with confidence that he will take the trophy back to Jamaica.
"I will do my best and I surely will bring the trophy home," stated the unassuming Owayne, who lives with his parents in Hayes, Clarendon.
The competition, which will be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Washington, began yesterday and ends on Friday. The contestants will have a face-off in several rounds, but only the best will go on to the major spell-off on Friday.
Owayne, his mother, Carlene Rodney; coach Primrose Swaby and Karin Cooper, manager for business development and marketing at The Gleaner Company, travelled to Montego Bay last Saturday where they spent the night making last-minute preparations for his trip to Washington.
Owayne was quite anxious to set his feet on the plane.
Mrs Rodney said a team comprising herself, Owayne and his coach, who is a teacher at the Mandeville Primary and Junior High School in Manchester, had been preparing for a long time.
"We have worked together and assiduously, using the theme - Prayer, Preparation, and Purpose. This means that we have prayed and the purpose is for God to work that out," she said.
Added coach Swaby: "We are hoping for the best this time around. Right now, Jamaica is in such a low state, so I wish that we could return home with the trophy. That could lift us out of the situation somewhat."
She said it took months of preparation to bring Owayne to where he is now, resulting in his victory in February.
"Even while we were at the hotel, we were still going through the preparation stages."
Meanwhile, Cooper said The Gleaner conceptualised the idea for the local Spelling Bee competition 58 years ago. For several years, Air Jamaica was the main sponsor in transporting the Jamaican finalists to Baltimore. This year, however, they have facilitated the process in making it a seamless exercise and for this, Cooper said The Gleaner was grateful.
"It is one of the things which The Gleaner is extremely proud of because we interact with children from an early age and help them to develop their powers of reasoning, enabling them to become better citizens as a result of their Children's Own Spelling Bee experience," she explained.
Cooper added that the trip to Washington was Owayne's main prize for emerging the national champion. The team's trip to the US capital marks Jamaica's 11th year participating in the international competition.
"We certainly hope Owayne will do well, but it is the experience to participate at the international level to represent Jamaica on the world stage. I am sure we will be proud of him," she said.