Girls give it a twirl

Rockhampton’s young baton twirlers Chloe Littleton, Emily Hudson, Mia McDonald, Chelsea Mattson and Grace McDonald will be part of the National baton twirling competitions when they come to town next month.

Daniel Burdon

IT’S something you would expect to see in an American movie but its happening right here in Rockhampton.

A group of girls have been prancing and twirling batons for the last three years.

Now the city will host its first Baton Twirling National Championships.

More than 200 twirlers will compete at CQUniversity’s sports centre in October and our girls are ready to show fellow competitors what they’re made of.

Coach Susie McDonald started twirling when she was 10 and represented the country seven times at world championships.

Susie said baton twirling combines dance and gymnastics with a skill.

“You have to have quite supple wrists and it’s quite graceful but physically challenging,” she said.

She said you can also do baton marching.

Susie said baton twirling had always been more known as an American sport but she said it is quite popular in Australia.

She decided to start the Rockhampton PCYC Baton Twirlers when her daughters got to an age to twirl and she felt the city needed something different.

Currently they have 20 girls in their club and 15 will compete between October 1 to 3.

Susie said hosting the national championships was a great coup for Rockhampton as it will give the sport a chance to show what it’s all about.