First-place winner in the girls 10-11 competition, Fiona Dargan didn’t have far to look to find a mentor. Her older sister Kevinah won the title in 2005. Both Fiona and Kevinah dance for the Rince Na Tiarna dance school in Buffalo, New York.

 

Aside from her extraordinary talents as a dancer, Fiona is just a normal fifth grader at Mill Middle School where she enjoys playing travel soccer for Williamsville. Before heading to the World Irish Dance Championship in Belfast, Fiona, pictured right with her teacher Mary Kay Heneghan, suffered a bout of bronchitis that nearly put her out of commission. Luckily, she pulled through and put in a winning performance.

 

Another lucky streak saved the lives of Fiona, Kevinah, their mother Tracy, and dance teacher Mary Kay. The group were returning from the All-Ireland’s competition in Killarney on February 12, and were scheduled as passengers on the ill-fated Continental Airlines flight that crashed outside Buffalo.

 

Due to an early arriving Continental flight from Shannon, the four were able to board an earlier flight and arrived home unscathed.