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Richmond girl win awards in Little Sunshine talent show

Kids trained for a month in dance, walking and self-introductions.
2022littlesunshine
From left to right: First Runner-up Annie Qi, Champion Chelsea Zhong, Second Runner-up and People’s Choice Award winner Athena Mai, Talent Award winner Iliya Wong.

With dreams of becoming a professional pianist, a Richmond nine-year-old girl competed and took home two awards in a local talent show.

Athena Mai took home the third place and people’s choice awards at the 2022 Little Sunshine talent show an annual competition run for Chinese-speaking kids by Fairchild Radio on Nov. 19.

Mai was one of 10 finalists, selected from 150 applicants, to participate in the two-hour competition at Aberdeen Centre.

The boys and girls, ages four to 12, were each judged in several categories including dancing, catwalk, self-introductions, talents, answers to questions and the parent and child fashion show.

Prior to the competition, the kids were trained for a month in all these categories.

As a big fan of the popular Korean girl group Blackpink, Mai wants to “use music to enrich people’s lives like Blackpink’s Lisa.”

Chelsea Zhong, 12, won first place, White Rock resident Annie Qi, 10, took home second place and Burnaby’s Illiya Wong, 11, won the talent award.

Winners and finalists of the competition are named as the Goodwill Ambassadors of a clothing drive campaign that will benefit the Salvation Army.