A Grade 11 student at Chatham-Kent Secondary School (CKSS) won a provincial contest to design a new mascot for the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) and her work of art was unveiled at the school on Friday.
Kaylee De Haan designed Captain Ace and said the colours were inspired by the OFSAA logo and the trillium flower on the logo gave her an idea for the mascot's head. De Hann said Captain Ace represents past, present, and future athletes, their legacies, and serves as a reminder to keep working at your dreams even though they seem impossible.
She said she was amazed to see her design come to life.
"It's unbelievable. I didn't think I was going to be picked but then I saw that I was picked and I was like Woah, that was cool!" said De Hann.
De Hann also said the contest kept her busy and really helped her cope with the pandemic.
"It gave me some motivation to keep going and it helped me to develop my artistic abilities," she said.
The contest was held in the Spring and the mascot was manufactured this summer.
The new mascot was unveiled at CKSS on Friday afternoon and a banner was awarded to the school.
De Hann said she's a little bit artistic and a little bit athletic and likes to play volleyball and soccer.
