Baton twirling: Woman's venue hunt lands her dream job

A woman who went searching for the perfect venue for her teenage daughter to practise baton twirling said the sport has changed her life.

Kelly Lewis-Bennett, 40, from Carmarthenshire, found the venue in Canolfan Carwyn Leisure Centre and not long after was asked to run it.

She left school with no GCSEs and said she never dreamed it could happen.

Her enthusiasm and ideas impressed the sports centre executives there and, as she said: "We all started talking."

Baton twirling, a mixture of gymnastics and dance, has been popular since the 1970s.

During lockdowns, professionals in the sport were given elite athletic status, which meant they could train.

• Inside the world of the UK's student cheerleaders

• Six Nations ticket prices hit record levels

• The Invictus Games saved me, says injured veteran

However, when Covid struck, Kelly, a committee member with Baton Twirling Association Cymru (BTAC), had to work hard to keep the sport in her 16-year-old daughter Stephanie's life.

Stephanie was given elite athlete status, but still struggled to train during lockdowns

"We really struggled for a hall for her," she said.

"Stephanie was given elite athlete status, but that didn't necessarily mean that she could train because we still struggled to find a hall that was suitable.

"During those hard times in Covid, she couldn't do anything. She was training in car parks and we had to think about that and about our other members too, we had to find somewhere to support them more."

The baton twirling group meet every week in their permanent practice space

It was then that Kelly hit upon the idea of taking over a sports centre in Drefach.

As soon as Covid restrictions started to ease in 2020, the twirling group, who come from all over Carmarthenshire, finally found a place to train in Canolfan Carwyn Leisure Centre.

Having gone back to education to do rural enterprise management at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David's, when she was asked if she would like to run the centre in January she said: "I thought to myself: 'I think I can do this'."

Kelly's vision is to develop the centre to make it a community hub.

"The reason we took over Canolfan Carwyn was because our members did not have a home to train in," she said.

"This meant that our members would have a home and wouldn't have to struggle.

"We're gaining loads of interest. We've increased usage just within three months of doing this."

Kelly and her team are now responsible for managing the centre which includes taking bookings and managing staff.

"When I finished school I didn't have any GCSEs, I had nothing. I had children at 20 and thought I was going to be just a mum for the rest of my life."

The twirling group is now looking forward to competing with other teams

About 30 twirlers meet every Friday night to practise the sport which takes "athletic ability, technical skills agility and stamina".

After the uncertainties of Covid, Kelly said she was so proud the team has a new home and are looking forward to getting back in to the competitive ring and twirling their way to greater success.

• AMY DOWDEN, CHARLOTTE CHURCH, GREGORY PORTER & AMY WADGE: It's Showtime with Michael Ball!

• CAREER CHANGE WITH A DIFFERENCE: Police new recruits adapt to life on the beat