The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Irish dancer earns top spot at first regional championships Oakville's Josh Vilim is moving on to the Worlds Irish dance championships in April by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff Artscene 25 | Friday, January 23, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" F or the past two years, when Josh Vilim wakes up in the morning, he stretches and then begins to jump around in his Oakville home. No, he's not just an excited 11-year-old; it's part what he does to stay in shape during training as an Irish dancer. His mother, Peggy O'Neill, says her son is vigilant when it comes to staying on top of his stretches and practices. And it's paid off -- the Oakville youngster finished first in his category at the 2014 Oireachtas Eastern Canadian Championships in Montreal last November. "I didn't know I was going to win," admits Josh. "Some of these boys I was competing with, it was their sixth Oireachtas. I didn't know I was that good." It may have been Josh's first major regional competition, but the Grade 6 Holy Family school student has taken to Irish dancing like a fish to water. O'Neill says her son picked up the technique quite quickly, having only been enrolled at Oakville's Goggin-Carroll School of Irish Dance since 2012. "We never looked at it (dance) as a competitive thing, more like a fun thing for Josh to do, but he's gone up four or five levels in the last two years. The teachers said they had never witnessed such a fast progression," she said. "We call him a noodle, because he's so bendy, and I think that's why he took to it (Irish dancing) so well. You can't make a gymnast out of someone who doesn't have at least some basic skills and he clearly has these (dance) skills." Above, 11-year-old Josh Vilim has attended the Goggin-Carroll School of Irish Dance since 2012 and won his first regional competition last November at the 2014 Oireachtas Eastern Canadian Championships in Montreal. At left, Josh performs the trademark kicks and jumps of Irish dancing. | photos by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or www.facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) An exciting surprise O'Neill explained she, her husband Doug Vilim, and their children Christina, 23, Daina, 21, and Danny, 17, were all surprised when they learned of Josh's results at the regional championship. "We were quite shocked because his teacher said it would be a good learning experience for him -- it was the biggest thing he's ever done," said O'Neill. "It's amazing to see his success. I love how much he loves it... He's really vigilant when it comes to it. So, it's been interesting to see that side of his personality come out; his tenacious commitment." Doug flew with Josh to Montreal for the competition and said the return home was especially nice for his son. Throughout the Montréal-Trudeau airport, people were congratulating Josh when they saw him with his trophy. Josh says he was very excited when he found out he had placed first, noting the competition was high. "When you're in the Oireachtas, you get your mind really focused on dancing, but once it's done, it's really fun to see you've accomplished so much," he said. Josh admits he was a little nervous before his first performance at the regional competition -- worried the stage would be slippery -- but became more comfortable afterwards. The Eastern Canadian competition is a qualifier for the North American Championships (NANS) and the Worlds Irish dance championships. The former is set for July in Providence, R.I., while the Josh says he enjoys how unique it is and the movement of the feet. He typically trains twice a week for two-and-a-half hours, while for the Eastern Canadian Championships his schedule added an extra six hours of training on Saturdays and Sundays. latter will take place in Montreal in April. Josh will also be heading to the All Scotland Championships next month in Glasgow, Scotland. Exploring new things O'Neill says she enrolled her son in dance after it appeared he wasn't very interested in the team sports she and Doug signed him up for. "We were exploring new things," she said. "I caught him around the house jumping around and thought maybe he might like dance. We tried hip-hop, but he seemed to really lock onto Irish dancing. "Josh's mode of transportation around the house is jumping," noted O'Neill. "Although Irish dance is known mostly for girls (participants), it is a fantastic sport for boys... It's amazing conditioning." Irish dancing is characteristized by rapid leg and foot movements, while the body and arms are largely kept stationary. We call him a noodle, because he's so bendy, and I think that's why he took to it (Irish dancing) so well. You can't make a gymnast out of someone who doesn't have at least some basic skills and he clearly has these (dance skills)... It's amazing to see his success. I love how much he loves it... He's really vigilant when it comes to it. So, it's been interesting to see that side of his personality come out; his tenacious commitment. Josh Vilim's mom Peggy O'Neill When asked what advice he had for other boys looking to take up Irish dancing, Josh said he would encourage them. "If you're nervous about starting... you just have to train and build your confidence," he said, adding it's helped him become more confident in life.