NORWAY - A 10-year-old Rowe Elementary School student recently met champion figure skater Emily Hughes in New York as one of three 2008 American Girl of the Year "Real Girl" award recipients.

"It was amazing," Aisling Shepard said Friday afternoon of her excursion to the Big Apple on April 26. "I wanted to meet her as fast as I could."

Shepard was selected last month from a group of 8,000 entries to be one of three grand prize winners in the annual contest. She took her first plane ride - she described it as "scary" - with her mother, Tara.

American Girl judges said it was Aisling's winning combination of pluck and passion that drew her to them.

"Aisling truly exemplifies what it means to be a Real Girl of the Year," said American spokeswoman Stephanie Spanos when the award was announced last month. "She is passionate, dedicated and has an award-winning attitude. Aisling's commitment to her dogs and the kennel she founded is tremendous. And, the strength she demonstrates pursuing her dream in dog sledding is a true testament to her amazing spirit."

The award was inspired by American Girl's 2008 Girl of the Year character, Mia, a talented and hardworking girl who follows her dream to figure skate and discovers that having an award-winning attitude is what really matters.

Although not a skater, Shepard loves winter sports. She began dog-sled racing at the age of 5 after watching the Iditarod, a 1,150-mile dog sled race across Alaska, on television. A member of the Down East Sled Dog Club, she has placed overall third place in national races, junior dog sled division, and this past year took a first place with her dogs that weigh 35 to 40 pounds each and run about 15 miles per hour.

Both Shepard and Hughes spoke to almost 100 young girls and their parents about their lives at the special American Girl event in New York and then went out to eat lunch together.

"We went to a cafe at American Girl. I had chicken fingers with a strawberry smoothie in a wine glass. Emily Hughes had something I couldn't pronounce," Aisling said.

"We stayed at the Palace on the ninth floor. They had an extra big TV player. We're used to tiny rooms with two beds," she said of other hotel accommodations she and her mom have shared. "We're not used to down pillows."

Shepard, who lives on Thomas Hill Road with her mom and many race dogs, said giving the speech was " a little bit scary" and one of her puppies ate it up when she returned home.

This summer the dog-sled racer will spend a lot of time in the water training her puppies and preparing them for the winter race season.

"I'm happy with them in the water," she said.

As one of the three grand prize winners, Aisling received a $5,000 donation to the organization in which they are involved, a special appearance in the American Girl catalog and on the Web site, a complete Mia product collection, and recognition at the special celebratory event at American Girl Place.