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THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1979
ENGLISH SCHOOLGIRL WILL STAND OUT AT YOUTH RALLY FOR
PRINCE CHARLES
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IF IT IS AT ALL POSSIBLE TO STAND OUT AMONG HUNDREDS OF YOUNGSTERS IN A MASS YOUTH DISPLAY, THEN JOANNE JOHNSON SHOULD BE EASY ENOUGH TO SPOT.
FOR 13-YEAR-OLD JOANNE IS THE ONLY EUROPEAN AMONG SOME 1,000 STUDENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WILL BE PUTTING ON A COLOURFUL DISPLAY FOR HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES AT YUEN LONG STADIUM ON MONDAY (MARCH 5).
JOANNE, A THIRD FORM STUDENT OF KING GEORGE V SCHOOL, IS A MEMBER OF THE HONG KONG AMATEUR GYMNASTICS ASSOCIATION AND PART OF A 20-STRONG TEAM TAKING PART IN THE DISPLAY.
+1 AM REALLY THRILLED TO BE IN THE DISPLAY, SAID JOANNE, +BUT I MUST ADMIT THAT I AM A BIT NERVOUS, I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE PRINCE BEFORE.+
+WE HAVE BEEN PRACTISING FOR WEEKS FOR THE SHOW AND WE ARE KEEPING OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT ALL GOES WELL.+
JOANNE, WHO COMES FROM LONDON, HAS BEEN IN HONG KONG FOR FIVE YEARS. HER FATHER IS A CIVIL ENGINEER WITH A LARGE
CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, SHE HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR TWO YEARS.
+ I DID NOT TAKE UP GYMNASTICS UNTIL I GOT TO HONG KONG AND WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD TIME LEARNING THE SPORT, SHE SAID.
ANOTHER GIRL IN THE GYMNASTIC DISPLAY WHO WILL BE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE IS LAW SHUE-LIN, WHO IS ALSO 13 YEARS OLD, BUT WEIGHS ONLY 32 KILOGRAMMES WRINGING WET,
AND WHILE SHE MAY BE THE SMALLEST GIRL IN THE DISPLAY, HER INSTRUCTORS ARE FULL OF PRAISE FOR HER. + HAVE BEEN TAKING PART IN GYNMASTICS FOR FIVE YEARS NOW AND WOULD LOVE TO REPRESENT HONG KONG IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION ONE DAY, SHE SAID.
+BUT AT THE MOMENT, THE ONLY THING I CAN CONCENTRATE ON IS PRACTISING FOR MONDAY'S ROYAL VISIT DISPLAY.+
NINE MEMBERS OF THE GYMNASTIC TEAM REPRESENTED HONG KONG IN THE LAST ASIAN GAMES HELD IN BANGKOK. THE TEAM WILL PERFORM A NUMBER OF MEDIUM AND SUPERIOR STUNTS ON TRAMPOLINES DURING MONDAY'S DISPLAY.
TWO SMALLER GROUPS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL AUGMENT THE MAIN GYMNASTIC ROUTINES.
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