From http://www.stlnet.com/postnet/stories.nsf/ByDocID/9927C0C4882AFA7E862568F20010EA BF }}>Begin How do you spell a winner . . . G-E-O-R-G-E George Abraham Thampy, 12, celebrates winning the National Spelling Bee with his father. (Paul J. Richards/AFP Photo) By Bill Bell Jr. Of the Post-Dispatch WASHINGTON - And then there was one. Maryland Heights' George Abraham Thampy became the best young speller in the country Thursday, winning the 73rd Annual Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. Standing calmly before a packed house, George, 12, spelled "demarche," meaning a line of action, to win in the 15th round. Earlier in the contest, George said he nearly stumbled on the word "emmetropia," or the condition of normal refraction of light in the eye, in which vision is perfect. George said he wasn't sure about the placement of an "e" or an "a." "I prayed, and God gave me that. God told me the correct spelling," he said. George sat through most of the final round Thursday, staring at the red- carpeted floor, shielding his eyes, and sneaking glances at his nervous parents. He said most of the time he was praying. Jacob Norton, of Traverse City, Mich., was on the stage with him. Jacob, who finished fourth, said it was clear that George was more prepared than anyone else. "I was just thinking I'm glad I didn't have that one," Jacob said of emmetropia. George has had a good couple of weeks. On May 24, he took second place in the National Geography Bee in Washington, winning a $15,000 college scholarship. The spelling bee brought a $10,000 prize, which he said he would give to his parents. George took third place in the same contest last year, winning $3,000. In 1998, he placed fourth, wining $1,000. This year, George was the last speller standing out of 248 youths who competed at the national level Wednesday and Thursday. He had advanced to Washington by winning the Post-Dispatch Spelling Bee in St. Louis on March 18. It was the third year in a row he was the St. Louis winner. The national bee was staged in rounds at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. With the contestant standing at a microphone, a "pronouncer" carefully enunciated each word. Contestants who "spelled out," or misspelled a word, were informed by a dreaded bell. Some walked off close to tears. Others gave high-fives. Almost every time, George asked for the meaning of the word, its pronunciation and how it could be used in a sentence. He also asked questions about derivation. Winning the national prize made George an instant celebrity. The contest was broadcast live on ESPN, the cable TV network. After he won, the shy boy faced a standing ovation followed by a news conference with a battery of television cameras and journalists. Other participants shook hands and asked for his autograph. This morning, George was to appear on the "Today Show" and "Good Morning America." The family also was to attend a banquet before returning home to Maryland Heights. Five of George's six siblings made the trip to Washington for the event. George's mother, Bina, teaches the Thampy children at home. George's father, Dr. K. George Thampy, said he made the decision to home school his children about the time George was born in Houston. Public school officials there were talking about installing metal detectors. Bina Thampy said at first she had never heard of home schooling. When they started, the family visited the public library for textbooks. She said she stressed reading, writing and arithmetic before branching out to other subjects. All of her seven children are smart, she said, but George's verbal skills are "outstanding." "I knew that from the beginning," Bina Thampy said. "He had a way with words." George started reading early. His mother said he read comic strips at first. George said his earliest reading memory is from Consumer Reports. When he was 3, George asked his parents about a spelling bee he had read about in a newspaper. "He said he wants to do it," George's father said. The family began training him - most heavily when he was 6, 7 , and 8 years old. Bina Thampy, who like her husband is from southern India, said sometimes George would correct her pronunciation. Her son entered his first spelling bee in 1994. His mother said that in all those years, she never heard "I'm tired" from him. "We tell him that we are tired," joked Dr. Thampy. George said he studied spelling about three or four hours a night. But in the past six months, he actually spent more time studying geography, he said. Dr. Thampy said home schooling has allowed him and his wife to focus on their children's development. When asked what he admires most about his son, Dr. Thampy said: "He respects authority. He obeys his parents. He honors God. At the same time he is a typical boy." Bina Thampy said her son is usually not as shy as he was in Washington. At home, he likes to collect stamps and coins, fly kites and work with computers. He plays the flute and has just joined the Boy Scouts. George says he wants to go into medicine but has not decided on a specialty. His father is a physician and a biochemist. Winning prizes was not his main goal, George said. He participated in spelling bees because he simply loves words. Even if he would have dropped out an early round, he said, "I'm still happy as long as I learned one new word." Two other St. Louis-area children have won the national contest. In 1955, Sandra Sloss won with the word "crustaceology." In 1962, Michael Day was the co- winner with the word "esquamulose." The St. Louis Globe-Democrat sponsored both winners. The Post-Dispatch sponsored George and his father's trip to Washington. Other young spellers from the St. Louis region who competed at the national bee this year were Henry Adeny Wasonga, 12, of Rolla, Mo., who made it to the first round; Christopher Michael Jones, 10, of Chatham, Ill., who made it to the third round; and Steven Stilt, 14, of Greenville, Ill., and Amanda Whitworth, of Columbia, Mo., who made it to the fourth round. 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