Search for the next Nikki Webster begins as Brisbane prepares for 2032 Olympics

Queensland’s young performers are vying for their chance to shine in the 2032 Olympic opening ceremony. Is your child the chosen one?

Nikki Webster stole the show at the Sydney Olympics.

The search is on for Queensland’s next generation of talent to take the global stage at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics opening ceremony.

Just as Nikki Webster captured hearts as the “Hero Girl” during the Sydney 2000 Olympics, young performers from across Queensland are dreaming of their own Olympic moment.

Charmaine Gilchrist, one of Australia’s leading talent agents, believes the Olympic opening ceremony offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to catapult young performers into stardom.

“Yes, I do think it can be [career-defining],” she said.

This story is part of The Courier-Mail’s annual Future Brisbane series advocating for a focus on the right legacy outcomes from the hosting of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. You can read all of our coverage here.

“The entertainment industry is unpredictable — one booking can change a life, but you never know which one it will be.”

Nikki Webster during her Olympic performance.

Reflecting on Nikki Webster’s legacy, Gilchrist explained what made the young performer such a standout.

“The amount of people that watched her around the world was incredible. What made her stand out was her vibrancy—both young and old could relate to her,” she said.

According to Gilchrist, confidence and charisma are essential for success in such a high-profile role.

“[They will need] a lot of personality to capture the crowd … it will come down to that certain spark. Casting directors and managers can see this instantly,” she said.

For parents hoping to help their children achieve such dreams, Ms Gilchrist stressed the importance of dedication and long-term commitment.

Can we find the next Nikki Webster for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics? Picture: Adam Head

“Parents play a very important role in the kids moving forward in our industry as it's the parents that have to invest in their child. They have to be willing to put in hours and hours of training and for singers that's vocal training,” she said.

“Even for the kids that are gifted naturally … training is recommended as the industry changes so quick.”

At Coorparoo’s Theatre and Dance, five young performers are already dreaming big.

The group, now aged five, has been dancing together since they were two.

By 2032, they’ll be 13—the same age Nikki Webster was when she stepped into Olympic history.

Saki Thomson 5, Marlow Smith 5, Lucy Emery 5, Isabelle Yuen-Pickett 5 and Ashton Bowen 5 at Theatre and Dance, dance school in Coorparoo. Pics Adam Head

Angela Bowen, mother of one of the young dancers, Ashton, said the idea of performing at the Olympics would be life-changing for her son.

“He loves coming here to Theatre and Dance, and if it were to lead to something like the Olympic opening ceremony, that would be very exciting,” she said.

“I don’t think he would understand right now what that would actually mean and feel like, but he just loves dancing and loves singing so much that it would just probably make his life.”

Ms Bowen said Ashton’s passion for performing started early.

“I think he got this love for performing in the womb,” she said.

“He’s been around music and dance all his life. His knowledge of musicals is ridiculous for a five-year-old — he’s obsessed.

“If kids can find something that they love, even at that age, I think you’re really lucky as a parent.”

Originally published as Search for the next Nikki Webster begins as Brisbane prepares for 2032 Olympics