His dream has come true and he is flying to Sydney

Five years later, this young Indian-Canadian is all set to fly to Sydney to watch the first Olympics of the new Millennium. Earlier this month, he was named the winner of VISA International’s Sydney Olympics Imagination 2000 contest in Toronto.

Adam’s graphic design was the winning entry from among 5,000 entrants across Canada and more than half-a-million entries from across the world, said Jeff Roach of Roach and Associates, the company that handled the marketing for the contest.

“I’m really happy. I always wanted to go to the Olympics. I like sports,” said Adam, who added that his favorite sport is “probably hockey”.

The boy’s parents, Mansoor and Yasmin Ijaz, are obviously are very happy for him. “It is a dream come true,” they say. He was informed about the award in the school gym with the rest of his school and he was “thrilled” at the award and the applause.

“I felt special. Everyone asked me,how did you do it?’ and to get them back a souvenir,” Adam said.

He has won all-expenses paid round trip to Sydney with premier seating at all events and he will also have the privilege of representing Canada in Sydney.

Adam’s parents have always known that he is gifted. “He is absolutely amazing. He loved to read, write and draw with every bright colors very early. He has always been artistic and creative with an affinity to math, especially geometry,” said his father, a New-York based banker and writer.

“For me, he is a genius. It’s proved to me and now the rest of the world is seeing it too,” he added.

The parents knock on wood when they discuss their children, Ijaz and his 11-year-old sister Sophia.

“We have been very lucky. They are both bright, kind, very sharing and hardworking. Whatever they have an interest in, they pursue,” said their mother Yasmin.

They are also pleased that there is no sibling rivalry between them. They both react positively to each other’s achievements. They were pleased to hear about their son’s award but Yasmin points out that he is “more of a mathematician and a scientist than an artist.”

Winning in itself has been a goal in everything Ijaz has done.

“I always just want to win when I compete with other people. If I don’t, then it makes me just try harder next time,”said Adam, who talks in a solemn and serious manner. He does not converse like a young boy.

He will also get to show his award-winning design at Olympics parties with the other winners from 34 countries and other parts of Sydney.

Adam’s drawing was a combination of enthusiasm, creativity and some very careful research.

“When I started on the original paper, I put one thing then another. I just kept on adding detail, color and then the words, faster, higher, stronger’. I just couldn’t control myself,”says the little boy.

He also went to the library to look up past winners and flags, which, he says, “intimidated me a bit”.

The winning entry was a class assignment at the Foundations Private School in New Market, Ontario, where he is already in the 6th grade. Typically, at age 10, children are in 4th grade. He has skipped grades because of his intelligence and uniqueness, school officials say.

Art has always been a part of Adam’s life.

“I like to draw automobiles and planes. My favorite colour is orange and everytime I use orange, I have to add red and yellow. The colors make me very happy,” he said.

Adam admires his parents and credits them for encouraging and supporting him. He has not chosen a future career yet, but he knows that he will “be an artist on the side” and “just like dad,” when he grows up.

He quickly adds that, he has “the best mother in the whole world.” And a “helpful, encouraging sister.”

And Yasmin believes that the win is a good lesson. “He has learnt that if you work hard, you pray hard then, whatever you seek becomes possible.”