When Brennan turned 10 years old in September 2009, he had a great two years to look back on. Every week for 18 months, he published his own newspaper, The Spruce Street Weekly, a two-page paper that focused on good news. Last year, he won a national competition to become a kid reporter for TIME Magazine’s publication, Time For Kids.
Plaudits to the Leader for its sponsorship of the coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games by Brennan LaBrie. As a 10-year-old journalist, Brennan was one of about 10,000 reporters covering the Vancouver Olympics and was accompanied by Jack Olmsted, a photographer (videographer) (and Colleen LaBrie, photographer, writer, editor, mother). Brennan's relation of his experiences of being in Vancouver, with so much excitement and fanfare, was beautifully reported with a child-like, delightful enthusiasm. His observations gave a unique aspect to readers of what it was like to be a member of the press. He enjoyed the privileges, such as getting up close to the Olympic sculpture Fire and Ice, which the public did not share. He attended press conferences, circulated among TV news personnel from all over the world and interviewed celebrities. His reporting gave readers an insight to that world most of us know little about.
The articles, together with the photographs, were a journalistic contribution to the newsworthiness of the Leader.
To have recognized the abilities of young Brennan and to have encouraged him to report on this international event was commendable. This was an inspiring story about a publisher, a young person excelling in a grown-up world, and we, the readers, benefited as well.
I had a playdate planned – but I guess I’ll have to put it off for a little while.
Something came up.
My friend had to go see the President of the United States.
A new friend of mine, Marcelas Owens, was flown to Washington, D.C., to attend the signing of the new healthcare bill. Marcelas, 11, stood right next to President Obama as Obama signed the new bill into law.
Marcelas got to be a part of this special day by going through something very hard: his mother, Tiffany, died in 2007 after her heart condition, pulmonary hypertension, caused the loss of her job and with it the loss of her health insurance and home.
She had been an advocate for healthcare reform. She spoke out for healthcare and died because she had none.
After her death, Marcelas felt he wanted to speak up as well.
“My grandma told me that even if you’re nervous you do it anyway,” he told me, “and that you have to be able to not be afraid speaking what you have on your mind.”
That advice helped him when he was in Washington, D.C. March 11 where he stood before Congress to tell what happened to his mother in hopes of getting the healthcare bill passed.
The bill was voted on Sunday, and it was late Sunday night when Marcelas got the good news. Not long after that, he was on a red-eye flight to Washington, D.C. to attend the signing.
“It was really exciting. I didn’t know the bill was going to pass that fast!” he said.
Marceles wore a suit as he watched the President sign, and his blue tie matched Obama’s. I asked him if he had planned that.
“No,” Marcelas said. “Someone that worked there picked it out for me.”
Becoming president is something Marcelas would like to do some day. It’s either that or become a professional basketball player.
By Wednesday noon Owens was on a plane back to Seattle. The trip flew by fast, but he had favorite moments – meeting the President topped the list, but he also liked the Washington, D.C., yo-yo that Obama gave him as a souvenir.
For Obama, the bill passing was just the beginning. He still has a lot of work ahead as he prepares to tour the country to promote the new bill. Marcelas has more work to do as well, as he continues to speak out -- and, of course, there’s school. But he is up for all of it.
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said.
Marcelas was looking forward to the celebration waiting for him when he returned home, and felt very good about the trip and this week’s victory for getting healthcare for all Americans.
“This meant a lot because my mom was working so hard for it,” he said, “and she didn’t get a chance to finish it.”
And as for that playdate, I imagine it will happen after he gets a bit of rest. We plan to play hard, then talk ideas.
Owens got to be a part of this special day by going through something very hard: his mother, Tiffany, died in 2007 after her heart condition, pulmonary hypertension, caused the loss of her job and with it the loss of her health insurance and home.
She had been an advocate for healthcare reform. She spoke out for healthcare and died because she had none.
After her death, Owens felt he wanted to speak up as well.
“My grandma told me that even if you’re nervous you do it anyway, and that you have to be able to not be afraid speaking what you have on your mind.”
That advice helped him when he was in Washington, D.C. on March 11 where he stood before Congress to tell what happened to his mother in hopes of getting the healthcare bill passed.
The bill was voted on Sunday, and it was late Sunday night when Owens got the good news. Not long after that, he was on a red-eye flight to Washington to attend the signing. He had been invited by Majority Leader Harry Reid.
“It was really exciting. I didn’t know the bill was going to pass that fast!”
Owens wore a suit as he watched the President sign, and his blue tie matched Obama’s. Was this planned?
“No,” Owens said. “Someone that worked there picked it out for me!”
Becoming president is something Owens wants to do some day. It’s either that or become a pro basketball player.
By Wednesday noon Owens was on a plane back to Seattle. The trip flew by fast, but he had favorite moments – meeting the President topped the list, but he also liked the Washington, D.C., yo-yo that Obama gave him as a souvenir.
For Obama, the bill passing was just the beginning. He still has a lot of work ahead as he prepares to tour the country to promote the new bill. Owens has more work to do as well, as he continues to speak out -- and, of course, there’s school. But he is up for all of it. “I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said.
He looked forward to the celebration that was waiting when he returned home, and felt very good about the trip and this week’s victory for healthcare.
“This meant a lot because my mom was working so hard for it and she didn’t get a chance to finish it.”
Now that the Olympics are over, I'm left with a lot of good memories, but I also learned a thing or two from the trip, and here are just a few of them.
Shaun White, Team U.S.A. Olympic Gold medalist snowboarder, told me that you need to love what you do to get though the hard parts.
When the Today Show followed me around on my interviews, I learned that they mixed the fun with work. They were working hard on a story that was fun. (And the cameraman told me that you always need to be nice to your cameraman, for they have the right to make you look good or bad.)
I met a lot of reporters in the media room, where I would stay up late at night typing up my stories, and they taught me many things, including that part of a reporter's life at a big event like the Olympics includes junk food and almost no sleep. (I wasn't crazy about the no-sleep part, but the junk food part wasn't that bad.)
Now that the Vancouver Games have come to an end, the next stop for this reporter will hopefully be Singapore. That's were the Youth Olympic Games, starting August 14 and running though August 26, will take place.
It will consist of 3.600 young athletes, ranging from ages 14-18, and 26 sports, including archery, football, kayaking and horse-back riding.
But what make this Olympics stand apart the most from the regular Olympic Games is their culture and education program, which over 50 interactive activities crafted along the five, educational themes of "Olympism, skills developmental, well-being, healthy lifestyle, social responsebility, and expressiion, helping them become well-rounded." The Olympic Committee has not launched something new like this for a long time, but have high hopes for this new undertaking.
I met Kimiya Shokoohi, International Olympic Committee Youth Reporter, while in Vancouver covering the Winter Games. We spoke about her background as a journalist as well as the upcoming Youth Olympics being held in Singapore this coming August. This is the first year for this new Olympics, which will feature athletes ages 14 to 18. And this Olympics also includes workshops for the young athletes such as social responsibility, well-being and teamwork.
Kimiya reserved our roles, picked up the mic and interviewed me.
Spending a week in Vancouver, B.C., is fun in itself, and even more so during the Olympics. And being there as a reporter is better yet!
As a spectator, I got to see so many wild and interesting things.
The town was splashed with the Canadian colors red and white – groups of guys even wore flags as capes. Sides of buildings were used as giant TV screens to show games and broadcasts. Cheers echoed through the streets when gold was won by a Canadian.
People wore wild hats and painted faces, and high-fived strangers. Streets were closed off and filled with art and performers. The sky train rolled past on tracks above us. Jugglers and music – and even fireworks – filled the center of town at night. (Read More)
Ashleigh McIvor took home the gold medal in the women’s ski-cross competition on Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver yesterday, becoming the sport’s first female gold medalist.
McIvor stopped by the British Columbia Media Center in Vancouver B.C. today for a press conference proudly wearing her gold medal.
”It’s been amazing,” McIvor said. “I’ve barely had time to sit back and go, ‘Wow! I just won the Olympics!’ ”
She adds that she’s not usually superstitious but a friend gave her a small Buddha she kept in her pocket while things were going well for her – and she was afraid to take it out just in case it was acting as her good luck charm.
Her advice to other members of Team Canada as they approach their own big moments in the quest for gold is good advice for all: “Have fun! This is the Olympic Games! It’s all about having fun!”
McIvor said she knew she was going to be “100% ready” because of the tremendous support of the Canadian government in their “Own the Podium” program, which gave financial and other support to its athletes this year.
“And even standing at the top of the course I had this crazy feeling that it was all coming together perfectly,” she grinned.
The weather conditions of snow and fog that she faced at the event didn’t faze her, she said. She is from Whistler and had been skiing with friends in similar conditions.
This is the first year that the ski cross event is part of the Olympic Games. McIvor feels it is a perfect fit.
“It’s an amazing spectator sport. Four of us racing head-to-head, downhill, big jumps, huge turns, lots of terrain – it doesn’t get much more exciting than that.”
Brennan's relation of his experiences of being in Vancouver, with so much excitement and fanfare, was beautifully reported with a child-like, delightful enthusiasm. His observations gave a unique aspect to readers of what it was like to be a member of the press. He enjoyed the privileges, such as getting up close to the Olympic sculpture Fire and Ice, which the public did not share. He attended press conferences, circulated among TV news personnel from all over the world and interviewed celebrities. His reporting gave readers an insight to that world most of us know little about.
