A YOUNG girl from Cobargo impressed the Valley’s Australia Day ambassador so much on his visit that he gave her his pin.
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Eight-year-old Fiona O’Meara received Mark Tonelli’s ambassador pin this year.
“Fiona was so excited to receive this ambassador pin and has showed almost everyone that has walked through our door,” her mother Julie O’Meara said.
“She was thrilled to meet Mr Tonelli, being herself a keen swimmer and has since watched his famous Gold, Gold, Gold relay race at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games on Youtube.”
While their family was attending the Australia Day ceremony in Cobargo, Ms O’Meara said Fiona had “seemed in awe” of Mr Tonelli.
As soon as the ceremony was over, Fiona was up on the stage speaking to him, because as her mother said, “she’s not too shy”.
“I think he just liked her,” Ms O’Meara said.
Fiona said Mr Tonelli gave her the pin because he said she was “polite, patient, and some other things”.
While she already does swimming and gymnastics, she would like to go into them more in the future.
Fiona is home schooled through distance education along with her seven other sisters.
Mr Tonelli always passes on his Australia Day pin to a young person who impresses him most on his visits.
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