SAN ANTONIO — A 12-year-old San Antonio native was honored at the city council meeting for winning and representing the Alamo City in the Food Network's Kids Baking Championship on Thursday.
Lila Smethurst was crowned as the winner of the 12th season in February.
During the city council meeting Mayor Ron Nirenberg issued a proclamation honoring Smethurst for her amazing accomplishment.
"I just feel like that's so cool that the mayor and all the councilmen are honoring me," Smethurst said.
Smethurst is a seventh grader at Tex Hill Middle School in the North East Independent School District. She said she's been watching the Kids Baking Championship for years and always dreamed of competing on the show.
"Just to sort of see my name up there with all the other bakers that have won the past seasons that just sort of seems so crazy to me that now like forever I'm the season 12 kids baking champion," she said.
Smethurst said her parents were extremely supportive during her journey on the show and would frequently send her motivational videos to keep her spirits up during the competition.
"It just seems sort of surreal that I went from where I was to sort of make it all the way through and end of winning the whole season and beating all those other incredible kids," Smethurst said.
She said that despite the fierce competition the other bakers were encouraging of her and eventually it felt like she was baking alongside her friends.
Smethurst hopes other kids follow their dreams no matter how impossible they may seem.
"Don't give up and just keep going even if you think that you're out of the running. Just keep going and you never know what might happen," she said.
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