Olympic hopeful encourages children to read

8:02pm Thursday 21st August 2008

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A MEDAL winning teenage weightlifter showed what she was made of when she visited a library today (August 21).

Zoe Smith met residents at Eltham Centre Library, Archery Road, Eltham, and was pictured with encyclopaedias and other books which weighed a total of 87kg.

This weight is the 15-year-old's lifting record and has led to her becoming the second best weightlifting woman in the country.

Zoe also took home a silver medal from the European under-17 weightlifting championships last month.

Today's event was part of a series of Greenwich Council events to celebrate the Beijing Olympics and encourage children to take part in the Team Read summer reading challenge.

The summer reading challenge encourages children to read six books from local libraries.

Greenwich Council's cabinet member for culture and Olympics Councillor John Fahy said: "It's great to see Zoe giving her support to this reading campaign in Greenwich.

"The National Year of Reading has included a variety of exciting events for residents to enjoy, and has really boosted reading books and learning together in the borough.

"It's all very exciting in Greenwich at the moment, with the Olympic hand-over ceremony on its way and the prospect of Zoe, one of several young Olympic-hopefuls, representing Greenwich in the 2012 Games."

Zoe receives funding from the council's starting blocks trust.

This fund aims to give Greenwich's top athletes the best chance of competing in the 2012 games.

She is a member of Europa Weightlifting Club in Fraser Road, Erith.