KUDOS, STEPHANIE!
If you’ve ever walked into the ForFitness clinic on a weekday afternoon, there’s a good chance you've spoken with Stephanie Middleton.
She usually wears her brown hair pulled back, is soft-spoken, welcoming, and accommodating.
What you might not know is that Middleton competed internationally in her sport; her quiet reserve means she isn’t easily identifiable as having been a world-class athlete.
Yet she was.
In fact, Middleton began her journey to international competitions when she was just two years old. That’s when her mother got her involved in baton.
She loved it so much that by age six Middleton was an active competitor. She competed as a member of Debbie’s Twirlers, and the Fundy Twirlers/Starettes.
As her talent grew, many people noticed, including Deardra Leslie, of the Ontario Baton Twirling Association. She saw Middleton’s natural abilities, and encouraged her through the ups and downs of being an elite athlete.
And, as someone who to wear needs glasses, Middleton had more to contend with than some of the other baton twirlers.
When asked what her biggest adjustment was when she went from local to national and international competitions, Middleton replied, “[That] would have been the size and height of the gym, and getting used to tossing the baton, [and its new] height and movement.”
Due to her eyesight, Middleton always had to guess where her baton would end up after being thrown in the air. So, the larger venues of the national and international meets meant relearning her baton new trajectory.
Yet, her ability to maintain focus on her goals, and her dedication to mastering her skills (Middleton took ballet for eight years solely to perfect her technique) enabled Middleton to overcome obstacles like the above.
Her focus and dedication also took her all the way to the International Federation of Baton Twirling’s World Championship in 2007 and 2008.
She placed 5th.
By 2010, Middleton retired from competition, but not before placing first in: Senior B Freestyle; 2-Baton Level A; and Duet, at Baton New Brunswick’s (BNB) provincial championship.
However, retirement from competition didn’t mean an end to her career. Middleton was not done with baton.
Because she had a number of people who supported her throughout her competitive career – people who noticed her hard work and mentored her along the way – Middleton wanted to give back to the twirling community.
Following in her mother’s footsteps (Middleton's biggest baton-twirling influence) Middleton began coaching. Her experience as a competitor and talent as a coach meant many of her athletes competed at the provincial and national levels.
Middleton also volunteered on BNB’s Executive for two years as its Athlete’s Representative and Newsletter Editor.
Finally, after years of serving as coach, badge adjudicator, and judge, Middleton “ended the final chapter of [her] baton-twirling life” in 2023.
ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
In addition to the achievements mentioned above, these are some of Middleton's other accomplishments.
- Competed at the Canadian Baton Twirling Federation (CBTF) National Championships eight times, winning many gold and silver medals at those meets
- 2005 CBTF Senior Challenge Cup Award at 2006 Canadians
- 2007 CBTF Senior Challenge Cup Award at 2008 Canadians
- BNB’s Senior Athlete of the Year in 2004, 2005, and 2006
- Completed the CBTF’s Skills Development Program in 2002
- Stephanie, along with athletes from around the world, performed in a Hamilton Ti-Cat’s Football half-time show, as part of the IBTF’s 2007 World Championship
- Competed at American Youth on Parade (AYOP ) in Indianapolis,
South Bend, Indiana