Spelling Bee champion Jacklyn Spithoff dedicated her win in the memory of her grandma.
The 13-year-old from Crestview Public School took home the top prize at the annual CanWest 2012 National Spelling Bee regional finals on Saturday. Jacklyn went up against 30 other spellers from across the region in front of a packed audience at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.
After a few hours, only Jacklyn and 11-year-old Anthony Tassone remained. She said her final word was an easy one.
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Jacklyn had competed two times before but wasn’t able to claim a victory. She had worked with her grandma Dorothy Hodgson, who was an English teacher, and studied hard to learn as many words as possible. Sadly, Hodgson passed away last year. She was 82.
Jacklyn decided to dedicate this spelling bee in her grandma’s honour. She said she would be proud of her for winning her first bee.
“I don’t feel like it’s real,” Jacklyn said. “I’ve been trying for three years and finally got it. I did this for my grandma. Last year, she fell here and ended up in the hospital. She passed away last June. I did it for her. She and I were always studying together. I know she would be proud.”
She said her grandma was with her in spirit.
Jacklyn will go on to compete at the CanWwest National Spelling Bee finals in Toronto on March 28.
Jacklyn’s dad, John Spithoff admitted the most nerve-racking moment for him was when the speaker mistakenly said there was one more word. But when she was finally named champion, he said he got a little choked up.
“I always knew she had the abilities,” Spithoff said. “I always knew she was a contender but the last four or five rounds were getting a little stressful. I’m totally impressed and I’m very proud of my daughter.”
Spithoff said they weren’t sure if they should push Jacklyn into the competition after Hodgson’s death. She had always had her grandma for support and he wasn’t sure if she would be bothered that she wasn’t in the audience.
He said she felt like her grandma was still with her.
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