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Special pullout section Friday, October 5, 2007 8 Pages Circulation 21,220 www.independentfreepress.com Recipe of the week: Root vegetable soup Page 6 High school roundup: Playoff hopes dim Page 2 SPORTS AND LEISURE Halton Hills Community Newspaper GEORGETOWN TOYOTA SALES 15 MOUNTAINVIEW RD. N., GEORGETOWN 1-888-470-2664WEBSITE at www.georgetowntoyota.com *Lease payments are plus taxes. All leases are 24,000 km per year with an excess mileage charge of 10 per km. See dealer for full details. $333 LEASE FORMSRP $25,900 DOWN PAYMENT $2499 + TAXES 48 MOS. 07 CAMRY LE 07 CAMRY LE V6 07 CAMRY XLE $407 LEASE FORMSRP $29,500 DOWN PAYMENT $2999 + TAXES 48 MOS. $499 LEASE FORMSRP $37,525 DOWN PAYMENT $4399 + TAXES 48 MOS.Your Choice! NO SECURITY DEPOSIT 1.9% Financing up to 36 mos. As well as being a Team Canada gold- medal hopeful for this weeks Special Olympics World Summer Games in China, Emily Boycott has enjoyed some celebrity status as shes diligently trained for the big event over the past few months. The 24-year-old rhythmic gymnast served as a co-master of ceremonies with TSNs Vic Rauter back in May when the Canadian team uniform was unveiled at a ceremony that drew 130 media organiza- tions in Toronto. She welcomed California governor/Hollywood superstar and special guest Arnold Schwarzenegger, presenting him with a red and white Maple Leaf training outfit. Boycott, who shows as much compo- sure speaking in front of large groups of people as she does while competing in the gym, impressed Schwarzenegger with her wit and speech about the importance of Special Olympics sports for athletes with intellectual disabilities. A lot of politicians I know could take some pointers from Emily, Schwarzenegger noted. He was very nice. I hope I can meet him again in China, Boycott said in an interview last week from her familys Acton-area home. A member of the Oakville Butterflies rhythmic team for the last seven years, Boycott qualified for the World Games in July 2006 by earning four gold medals at the Canadian championships in Brandon, Man. Since then, shes rubbed shoulders with household names such as Hockey Night In Canadas Don Cherry and Ron MacLean, the Olsen twins, and had dinner with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. Boycott also appeared in full-page Special Olympics appreciation advertise- ments in The Globe and Mail in the spring sporting a t-shirt that read on the front, People are always pointing at me, and on the back, Im on the top of the podi- um when they do. Rhythmic gymnastics involves four dis- ciplines the rope, ribbon, ball and hoop. Boycott is in the Level 4 Special Olympics category, which is the most challenging as the athletes must select their own routine and music. Although there were no major competitions in 2007, she has kept com- petition-ready by performing in front of community groups, training at least three times a week at the Burlington Gymnastics Club. To become better prepared for the World Games, Boycott has increased the difficulty of her routines under the chore- ography of former national team rhythmic gymnast Andrea Schlegel, while also eat- ing meals with chopsticks and brushing up on proper Chinese etiquette. The training program that Special Olympics Canada has for its athletes is outstanding, said her mother Debbie, who coaches the Butterflies and will be an assistant coach for the Canadian rhythmic gymnasts. Well be competing on an artistic floor over there, which is different from what were used to, but Emilys been practising a lot at gyms with that surface and shes confident shell be ready. Of some concern for Boycott is how her nerves and feet will react in front of thou- sands of spectators and fellow athletes in the Shanghai International Gymnastics Centre. Ill see how my legs will feel when we get there, added Boycott, also a competi- tive swimmer and figure skater who works three or four days a week performing office duties at the Darling Home For Kids in Milton. Were going to do exercises on the plane ride over. In an e-mail from China this week, Debbie Boycott said they were welcomed warmly during their three-day stay at host community Hangzhou and that Tuesdays opening ceremonies in front of a capacity crowd of 70,000 people at Shanghai Stadium was spectacular. Preliminaries for rhythmic gymnastics were held yesterday (Thursday), providing Emily a preview of her competition. We saw Emilys competition at the training day (Wednesday) and shell need to be in top form, said Debbie. There is one athlete in particular who has more diffiuclty than Emily but Im not sure she executes as cleanly. Itll all be up to the judges. Emilys dad David has also made the trip overseas, hoping to visit the Great Wall of China before her events finals are held this Monday. It would be nice to win a medal, Emily said. I cant wait for the opening ceremonies and to meet some new friends...I dont know anything about China. It should be fun. For updates on the competition, visit the website www.teamcanada2007.ca. (Eamonn Maher can be reached at emaher@independentfreepress.com) Boycott eager to compete on world stage Actons Emily Boycott is one of more than 7,000 athletes from 169 countries, including 89 Canadians, who are competing this week at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China. The Oakville Butterflies Rhythmic Gymnastics Club member plans on making a visit or two to the podium and some new friends during her two-week stay. Photo by Eamonn Maher EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer