Hale Barns schoolgirl's First Class Hero letter is shortlist

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A HALE Barns schoolgirl has been shortlisted for the final of a letter writing competition with Royal Mail after writing to her hero.

Ella Harding, 11, from Elmridge Primary School in Hale Barns, wrote to the Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington and invited her to an event at her school for Sports Aid.

Ella is severely dyslexic and struggles to read and write, but she managed put pen to paper to create what the judges of the First Class Hero competition called an “imaginative” letter.

The keen swimmer, who practices at Altrincham Leisure Centre and regularly takes part in galas, said she had been inspired by Rebecca’s Olympic wins.

Ella’s teacher Zoe Kinnersley said Ella was very determined and had made “fantastic progress” this year.

“It is an amazing boost for her and we are so proud that she has managed to get there,” she said.

Christine Nolan, from Royal Mail, said thousands of youngsters had entered and the standard of entries was very high.