Richmond Hill’s 9-Year-Old Baton Star Makes History in the U.S. |
Katya Gampa became the first Canadian in 16 years to win the Juvenile Beginner National Pageant at one of baton twirling’s biggest competitions. |
At just nine years old, Richmond Hill’s Katya Gampa is already making her mark on the international stage.
Last month, Katya captured the Juvenile Beginner National Pageant title at the 2026 America’s Youth on Parade (AYOP) National Championships in South Bend, Indiana — becoming the first Canadian in 16 years to win the title.
The competition attracts thousands of baton twirlers, including elite athletes and college-level competitors from across North America. Katya earned second place in two qualifying events before topping a field of 36 competitors to claim the national title.
Her secret? Don’t think about winning.
Instead, she focuses on performing — something that comes naturally after years of practice.
Katya began twirling at age four after watching her older sister, Shria, take up the sport. She started competing at six and now trains four days a week, balancing practices, competitions and school.
Baton twirling combines much more than simply tossing and catching a baton. Competitors incorporate elements of dance, gymnastics and modelling into highly technical routines that demand coordination, flexibility and plenty of practice.
While the sport has a major following in the United States — where talented twirlers can earn college scholarships and perform at major sporting events — it remains relatively unknown in Ontario.
Katya trains with Stars United Baton and Dance, a non-profit club that has been twirling out of Richmond Hill’s Richvale Community Centre since 1972. With approximately 55 members, it is now one of Canada's largest baton twirling clubs. Coach Satyne Ward says Katya's victory is especially significant given how heavily the sport has traditionally been centred in the United States.
For Katya, though, the motivation is much simpler.
“I just like doing it.”
And with a national title already to her name at nine years old, Richmond Hill may be hearing a lot more about its young baton star in the years ahead. |
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Congratulations to Katya on her amazing achievement. To come out on top over all those American twirlers is quite an achievement! Great to see a new star from a new generation in Canada.
36 competitors, elite twirlers, some college level, and she still came out on top. Keep an eye on this one!
Baton twirling gets overlooked so much in Canada. If this was the US she would be on the local news everywhere. Hope she gets more coverage here.
greg_tShe was on CityNews York Region's social pages I think, but yeah nowhere near the coverage she'd get south of the border. It's a shame honestly.
It's a fair point, and part of why we wanted to tell Katya's story, a Canadian nine-year-old claiming a title no Canadian has won in 16 years absolutely deserves to be celebrated loudly and widely.
First Canadian to win in 16 years and she is NINE. Like where does she go from here? This kid has so much ahead of her.
It really is a remarkable achievement for someone so young, and given that she's been training since age four and competing since six, something tells us this is very much just the beginning for Katya.
Stars United has been around forever. A few kids from our street trained there when they were young. Nice to see the club getting some spotlight finally.
richmond_hill_dadDo you know if they still take new kids? My niece has been looking for something like this and I had no idea this club even existed until today.
Stars United has been a quiet cornerstone of the community since 1972, so it was wonderful to shine a light on them, with around 55 members, they're now one of Canada's largest baton twirling clubs and clearly still going strong.
Love that she said not to think about winning. That is honestly good advice for any kid in any sport. Wise beyond her years.
Marcy L.Seriously. I've coached kids soccer for years and that mindset is so hard to teach. The fact that she figured it out at nine is pretty remarkable.
Good for her but baton twirling is still not exactly a mainstream sport. Hope she gets the recognition she deserves because most people around here have never even heard of it.
You're touching on something Coach Satyne Ward also highlighted, the sport remains relatively unknown in Ontario even as it commands a massive following in the U.S., where top twirlers can earn college scholarships, which makes Katya's win all the more impressive.
skeptical_sam99That's kind of the point though, isn't it? Someone has to be the one who puts it on the map here. Maybe she's that person.
My daughter went to Richvale Community Centre for gymnastics years ago. Had no clue there was a baton club there since 1972. Cool to learn something new about the community.
Dave PellegriniSame, I drove past that community centre for years and never knew. 1972 is a long time to be running a club. Says a lot about how dedicated those coaches must be.
I had no idea baton twirling was this competitive. 36 competitors and she came out on top? Incredible.
The competition at AYOP draws elite athletes and even college-level competitors from across North America, so topping a field of 36 in that environment is genuinely extraordinary, the sport is far more technical than most people realize, blending dance, gymnastics and modelling into every routine.
What an amazing kid! Nine years old and already winning internationally. So proud of Richmond Hill!
Brenda K.Right? And she started at four years old. Some kids that age are still figuring out how to tie their shoes. Really cool to see.
The whole community should be proud, and keep an eye on this one, because with a national title at nine and four training days a week, Katya is clearly just getting started.