Stephanie lives Beijing dream

9:26am Thursday 18th September 2008

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Fifteen-year-old Stephanie King went to Beijing to represent Team GB in the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games. DAVID MILLS hears about her unforgettable experience.

SWIMMING champion Stephanie King has already followed in the footsteps of double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington.

The pupil from Bromley High School for Girls, Blackbrook Lane, Bickley, was in Beijing a week later to represent Great Britain for the opening of the Paralympic Games.

Fifteen-year-old Stephanie was one of 120 people to take part in the torch relay, where along with five others she lit the flame for Team GB.

She was chosen to go to the Chinese capital after swimming for Bromley in the London Youth Games where she picked up three gold medals.

Bromley was the overall winner in the games, which take place each year and involve all London boroughs.

Stephanie, who lives in Sevenoaks, walked 50m holding the torch, which she described as a very special moment.

She said: "It was amazing to be holding part of the Olympic flame and there was lots of cheering and a film crew following my every move.

"It seemed to be over so quickly I wished I could do it all over again."

When Stephanie landed in Beijing, she was ushered through fast track Olympic passport immigration, where she said she was made to feel like royalty.

She was then taken by a special Olympic bus and interviewed by Chinese television.

When the day for the relay came round, Stephanie was taken inside the Summer Palace, Beijing's imperial garden, to her relay position.

She said: "We were taken by Pagoda boats across the lake, round to our different areas to stand and wait for the flame to come to us.

"This was quite scary as the people watching all wanted to take photos and touch the torch and get signatures.

"They all came forward at once and the police lining the route had to keep them back."

Stephanie also got the chance to meet Team GB's paralympic team at the British embassy in Beijing, but says the opening ceremony was an unforgettable experience.

She said: "The opening ceremony was a truly amazing spectacle, from the perfect unison of 2,000 small children dancing, through to the light and firework shows, I have never seen anything on such a scale before.

"Even though it was a very long, hot and sticky night, it was just wonderful to be there.

"It was an experience I will never forget."

Stephanie hopes that one day she can emulate her idol Rebecca Adlington, and swim for Team GB.

She said: "I would love to get to the Olympics one day, but it will be quite a lot of work.

"There's a lot of competition.

"I would love to emulate Rebecca Adlington but maybe not for the same distance, I prefer short distance swimming."