'It's surreal': Kingston, Ont. teen to sing the national anthem at the Raptors game Wednesday
A Kingston, Ont. teenager is getting another chance to live her dream as she is set to sing the national anthem before the crowd at a Toronto Raptors game.
Kyra Daniel, 13, has so far performed twice, impressing the crowd as she performed the Canadian and U.S. national anthems in front of thousands at Scotiabank Arena in April and November.
“It’s surreal, being able to walk out on the court. I was definitely shaking. I had this moment where I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is happening,’” she says of her performance.
On Wednesday, Daniel will be back to sing the anthems before the Raptors’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s impressive at any age, but at just 13-years-old, the Kingston teen says she’s been told by the Raptors that she’s one of the youngest to sing at centre court.
“It’s just a great feeling,” says Daniel.
While this moment is a big one, Daniel is no stranger to the stage, having toured with Mini-Pop Kids, a young performing group that covers pop songs.
She also released her own music video this week for her single "Words Mean Something."
“I have a dream in life to be singer, songwriter, and business woman. That’s what I always tell people,” she says. “It’s my inspiration and motivation.”
Still, performing the national anthem is a dream come true for this Raptors fan.
“The games that I’ve seen, all the adults who are doing it, I’ve been like, ‘Dad, I want to be there. I want to sing in front of 20,000 people,’” she says. “And here I am and it’s so crazy!”
A bonus to booking the job is being near her favourite players. She says the team has been nothing but kind.
“One of my favourite players is Fred VanVleet, so that was really cool to see him,” she says. “It’s just the whole team. I love the whole team.”
The only thing she says could make this magic moment even better is the possibility of seeing Canadian rapper Drake.
“Imagine he heard me sing? I can’t even fathom that,” she says.
With at least two more performances lined up, she’s hopeful, but with or without the superstar in the stands, she’s ready to wow the crowd again.
“The atmosphere in Toronto in that arena is so amazing and it’s such a fun night,” she says “And I’m always with my dad. It’s so nice.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
For the first time in report's history, Canada's air quality worse than U.S.
Air quality in Canada is now worse than in the U.S., according to the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report. Of the 15 most polluted cities in the two countries, 14 were in Canada.
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
WATCH LIVE As former prime minister Mulroney lies in state, public tributes in Ottawa begin
Members of the public who wish to pay tribute to Brian Mulroney can visit his casket in Ottawa starting this afternoon.
BREAKING Roy McMurtry, former Ontario attorney general, dies at 91
CTV News has confirmed that former Ontario attorney general Roy McMurtry has died.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Images taken deep inside melted Fukushima reactor show damage, but leave many questions unanswered
Images taken by miniature drones from deep inside a badly damaged reactor at the Fukushima nuclear plant show displaced control equipment and misshapen materials but leave many questions unanswered, underscoring the daunting task of decommissioning the plant.
DEVELOPING February inflation rate slows to 2.8% as price growth unexpectedly eases
Canada's annual inflation rate unexpectedly fell to 2.8 per cent last month, amid sharp declines in cellular and internet services as well as slower grocery price growth.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.