Godwin students who participate in various sports and clubs stand up in front of the entire student body to boost morale. Still, a great tradition that gets students loud is Godwin Senior, Abbie Filmanski’s, baton twirling.
Despite the sport’s low popularity, Filmanski gets the crowd roaring with excitement even through her graceful turns and mishaps throughout the routine.
During the Homecoming pep rally, the senior class section would cheer at every possible moment to show their tremendous support.
Filmanki’s performance is full of intricate detail and precision, factors needed to give a flawless performance.
Filmanski reveals her humbleness to the sport in an interview, talking about her practice routine and motivation.
“My second year of being a baton twirler, I was moved from the lowest level to the highest level because they saw the potential in me, so I had to train harder to keep up with the other girls,” said Fleminski.
Filmanski continued by saying how she needs to fill the spot of being a role model for the younger girls while she is busy rehearsing strenuous routines and tricks. She’s able to practice these new tricks by practicing twice a week with her private group, and she tries to practice by herself once or twice a week.
Her talent and persona are an inspiration for those who are afraid to put themselves out there in front of others, but Filmanski is unapologetically herself. She puts on a big smile and takes on the conventional fear of performing in front of an immense audience, especially when the audience’s seats are full of critical teenagers.
Even when the baton drops, she keeps the flow moving until the performance ends. “Performing in front of the school is stressful, but I enjoy doing it because I love the reactions of everyone.”
A common question asked is, how did Filmanski get into baton twirling? It’s not every day that a parent has a child asking to enroll in baton twirling classes, but her upbringing is all thanks to her friends, who influenced her to try it out.
If it weren’t for her friends, she wouldn’t have won many awards. And those are precious to her. “I am proud of my three top ten medals. I got a nationals at the University of Notre Dame in 2019,” says Filmanski.
Godwin is full of a diverse student body with a variety of interests, but today, the spotlight is on Abbie Filmanski.
