Hi everyone!

My name is Emily Tutnick. I am an elite-level baton twirler and college student-athlete from Phoenix, Arizona, currently residing in Los Angeles, California.

Let’s start at the beginning. I began baton twirling at age 11 by accident, as I had participated in dance and gymnastics before baton. Putting a baton in my hands for the first time was electrifying. It was love at first sight, and I knew at that moment that baton twirling was the sport for me. It was tough, as I was much older than the other girls and boys, and I felt like a fish out of water. However, I was motivated to move up and advance very quickly.

Today, I present the culmination of my athletic career thus far. It consists of thousands of hours of practice, two coaching changes, a pandemic, and A LOT of disappointment. While that doesn’t sound all that exciting, I have accomplished more than an 11-year-old me could have imagined. I have held several state and regional titles and multiple world open and national titles. Most importantly, I am the feature twirler for the USC Trojan Marching Band. My participation in this storied program has allowed me to fulfill a goal of mine: to be a feature twirler at the collegiate level and continue my education. While these opportunities and experiences have been cherished and beloved, my dream since picking up a baton for the first time was to be part of team USA. And 13 years later, my dream came true.

This past July, I was selected to be a member of team USA for our baton twirling world championships. My dream had been fulfilled! This is the highest level of competition an athlete in my sport can compete at, and I am honored to be representing my country next summer. I will be representing my country at the IBTF world championships in 2 events: solo baton and X-strut. In addition, I also qualified for the inaugural IBTF Nations Cup competition. This is an international competition being held before the world championships. I will compete in 3 events: 2-baton, 3-baton, and Artistic Twirl. Both competitions will be held next August in Liverpool, England, and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

This has all been so exciting but also incredibly overwhelming. I cannot burden the cost of this trip on my own as I am a full-time college student, have a job on campus, and train 25-30 hours a week.

Overseas competitions are expensive, so I am raising money to help cover some of the costs of attending our world championships. The total cost for this competition (flight, lodging, fees, etc.) is approximately $3000. This amount will allow me to afford this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Any contributions to this fundraiser will go directly to this trip and offset additional expenses in preparation for the world championships.

Thank you for your time, and I hope you will donate and help me achieve my dream!

Fight On!

Emily Tutnick, USC Feature Twirler and Team USA member