Think you can master a toss-leap-walkover in a sequined costume, juggle a baton with the utmost precision, all in front of thousands of people looking at you? Oh — and keep a running smile on your face the whole time? This ISU baton twirler certainly can.

Maybe you’ve seen her bright red and gold sparkles from the stands at games, or you caught a glimpse of her practicing five days a week with the ISU Marching Band in front of the College of Design.

With her baton in hand, Emily Bright, freshman in child, adult and family services, sure knows how to conjure up some spirit.

Bright serves as the sole baton twirler for Iowa State. As a member of the non-instrumental part of Marching Band — the Flag Line — she had to try out and indicate her preference, since she didn’t play anything instrumental.

“The baton is my instrument,” Bright said. “I enjoy [the fact that] twirling is a rare sport. Not a lot of people do it, but the people that do are good and they love what they do. Twirling with the marching band is great because they’re one big family of mine.”

Bright’s story is similar to many athletes who play individual sports. She started twirling after watching her sister do the same thing 13 years ago. Though her sister stopped in high school, Bright continued and went under training from YMCA private coach Julie Rietz.

The two siblings had very different athletic styles. Emily was a competitive twirler and her sister twirled in more of a non-competitive style. Over the years, Bright suffered many injuries from batons, including broken fingers, sprained ankles, split ears and, more recently, hip problems.

“[One time] I threw a baton really high and it came down and slit my ear open in the middle of a performance. I had blood gushing down my neck.” Bright said.

With the intense schedule, it was hard to keep a “normal” teenage life going.

Nevertheless, Bright’s mother, Chris Bright, said Emily was always a trouper — very driven and excited.

“It was very busy working with both of [daughters],” Chris said. “Emily would always ‘buck it up’ and try and compete. She would never say ‘Oh well, I can’t learn it.’ It was always, ‘No, I am going to get that trick.’”

Emily was also known as a very supportive competitor.

“She would be the one telling the [other twirlers] good luck before going on, and say good job after they were done. She had very good character,” Chris said.

As an ambitious performer and competitor, Emily has a room full of trophies from various competitions, the most recent being the week-long 2008 Baton Nationals that took place in South Bend, Ind., this past summer. In the collegiate division, baton twirlers from various universities came to not only showcase their talent, but also their school colors, mascots and fight song.

“Nationals is the big contest; the one that everyone goes to,” Emily said. “You take all year to prepare for it. It’s the ‘big thing’ and you have to do your best at everything.”

At the 2008 Nationals, she entered and won the Collegiate “Down the Field” category. Although this was Emily’s tenth year taking part, “It was definitely the best one,” Emily said. “Some people don’t consider [twirling] a sport … but I do. It takes a lot of drive and determination and a lot of ambition to practice on your own, and a lot of strength and a lot of will power to make your goals a reality.

“Every twirler should be proud of what they do.”

Aside from showcasing her talents at competitions and running to keep in practice during football season, Emily spends her time at college doing what she does best — twirling for ISU athletics.

“I love the crowd [and] the fans at games because that’s what gets me going, that’s what keeps that smile on my face during half-time,” Emily said. “Twirling has definitely matured me, and I can set my mind to something. It definitely taught me to be strong. If you mess up, you just have to pick it up and put an even bigger smile on your face and make the rest of what you’re doing better.”