She
coasted through to the next round of Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday
evening, but teenager Henrietta Adewole's decision to pursue a singing
career began when a drunk driver ended her childhood ambition to be an
Olympic sprinter.
The
18-year-old student impressed judges David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and
Amanda Holden with her soulful interpretation of Passenger hit Let Her
Go during Simon Cowell’s absence for the birth of his baby son, Eric.
But
while she looks ahead to potential stage success, she still rues the
moment she was struck by car in 2007 – an incident that effectively
ended her hopes of becoming an athlete.
Hopeful: Henrietta Adewole takes to the stage on Saturday evening's episode of Britain's Got Talent
She
told the Sunday Mirror: ‘I was jogging with my mum early one morning
when I saw this car waiting in the road for something. I was expecting
it to move when all of a
sudden it zoomed towards me on the pavement.
Henrietta,
just 12 and a rising track star at the time of the accident, was thrown
in the air as the car ploughed through the garden of a nearby house.
The
offending driver was eventually convicted and banned from the road at
Grays Magistrates’ Court in Essex – but the ligament damage sustained by
Henrietta, who previously ran for her country and harboured Olympic
dreams, affected her fitness, confidence and self-belief on the track.
Rising star: But the teenager's initial dream was to be an Olympic athlete
Soulful: Henrietta, 18, impressed the judging panel with her interpretation of Passenger hit Let Her Go
You're through: The youngster coasted through to the next round of Britain's Got Talent on Saturday evening
‘Suddenly
the thing I was best at was something I couldn’t win anymore,’ she
recalled. ‘I was even scared of cars and walking on the road.
‘I’d wake up in cold sweats. I’d even see the woman’s face in the middle of the night and replay the accident.’
The
teen finally turned her back on running after finishing sixth in her
final race, focussing instead on her local gospel church – and it was
through her faith that she developed a passion for singing.
Henrietta now hopes to prove that, no matter what life throws at you, it is possible to triumph over adversity.
She added: ‘I’m so grateful that I’ve had this second chance.’
Britain’s Got Talent continues Saturday 24 May on ITV1.
Backstage: Henrietta chats with Britain's Got Talent hosts Ant McPartlin (C) and Declan Donnelly (R)
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