Page 16 - GLAS Newsletter Q118

Let me start by taking you all back on a journey with me. Picture a
7 year old girl from an extremely sports competitive family who
refused to take part in any extra-curricular activities. My family
tried everything with me - Irish Dancing, GAA, Dancing,
CARA Gymnastics, to name a few, and I remember hating all of these! Just
TRACEY when they were about to give up, they came across a new trend
called Baton Twirling where little girls would twirl a baton, enter
parades and proudly display their dances. This became the start of a
passion which I still cannot explain to anyone who doesn’t twirl a
baton, and also where I met my best friend of 35 years, Bridgette! I
competed for years and became an unbeatable National Champion.
My dedication to the sport then pushed me to represent my Country
for times at the World Baton Twirling Championships. So you can
understand my devastation when clubs closed all around Ireland as
it seemed to have ‘run its course’.

Saying this, I always had a baton on hand at home which I would pick up every now and again to help me get
something off my mind, or just to take me out of reality for a few minutes at a time.

Fast forward to 6 years ago when I read an article in the paper that a new group of Baton Twirlers had opened
in our area and people were invited to view them. I immediately
rang Bridgette to share the news and we were as excited as if we
were those little girls again!

Ascension Baton Twirlers are made up of only Volunteers and
are registered as a Non-Profit Voluntary Organization. We
learned that these volunteers do amazing work within the
Community with children from various disadvantaged areas
around the City. The Club motto is ‘Family’ - once they are in
the door and under their wing they become our family.

We went to view the Club & realized quickly it was unlike any
Club we had ever dealt with. The welcome that we received along
with the friendliness & sense of security for the children actually
overwhelmed us. We explained our history and offered our
services then and there. They explained that they wouldn’t be able
to ‘pay’ us for our time and we said we had offered our services
as we understood this was voluntary and for the Community.

This turned into Bridgette and I volunteering every
weekend and 3 nights a week during competition season,
for the past 6 years. (until I relocated to the UK and broke
a couple of their hearts along with my own, but they still
Skype me during a training session).
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