It’s well-known that most athletes start their sport at a young age.
But very few, unlike Ciaran Muir, can say they did so before they could walk.
The 16-year-old international baton twirling champion from Abernethy discovered the sport when he was just a baby.
His mum Sarah Stobbie, who coaches the Fair City baton twirling team in Perth, recalls the moment her son discovered his passion.
Perthshire teenager Ciaran competed in first baton twirling competition at 14 months old
She said: “Ciaran was just a baby when he picked up the baton for the first time.
“I was coaching at the hall and he had no choice but to come with me because his dad worked night shifts.
“His older brother Kristian didn’t show any interest at all.
“But Ciaran, he would never leave the hall.
“His first competition he did with me when he was 14 months old.
“And it has just been constant ever since then.”
It was a discovery which would change the course of Ciaran’s life – and that of his family, who have supported him every step of the way.
The 6th year pupil at Bertha Park High School in Perth lives at home with his brother Kristian, 19, mum Sarah and dad Andy.
He has won countless medals in tournaments across the world, including in the European Championships in Spain and in France.
Ciaran is one of three Scottish boys in female-dominated baton twirling sport
This summer alone he is competing in the European Cup in Croatia and the World Championships in Sweden.
He also has a number of Scottish and UK titles under his belt.
Ciaran is just one of three Scottish boys twirling in British Baton Twirling Sports Association (BBTSA) competitions, which is a female-dominated sport.
He admits it is not the typical life of a schoolboy from Perth – and people are often confused by what he does.
He said: “The majority of the time I do have to explain in detail what it is, no one has heard of it.
“Sometimes it can be quite hard to explain.”
His mum said: “The easiest way to describe it is like rhythmic gymnastics but with a steel bar above your head, coming down on you every so often.”
Ciaran’s elite-level routines often involve spins, elbow rolls, cartwheels and different aerial moves with the baton – an arm-length steel metal rod.
He is a member of the Dardas Diamonds squad in Glenrothes under the tutelage of Alanna Dardas.
Although he was originally coached by his mum, it was decided that he should move to the elite-level club in 2015, when his skills rapidly developed.
Mum Sarah ‘living her dream’ through son Ciaran
Sarah, who has been twirling since she was seven years old, is extremely proud of her son.
She said: “I am kind of living my dream through Ciaran by seeing him do all this stuff that I couldn’t do and always wanted to do.
“But I just couldn’t master it.
“It is a completely different sport now to what it was when I took part.
“There is so much more acrobatics and dance and things involved in it.
“It is just more intense than when I did it as a child.”
The road to success has not been an easy one though.
At primary school, Ciaran was the target of cruel remarks from ignorant bullies, who made fun of him for his love of baton twirling.
But he never let the teasing put him off achieving his dream of becoming both a European and a world champion.
Thankfully, since moving to high school, he says people have been more supportive.
He said: “Just now, I’ve not had any issues.
“I think people were just a bit uneducated in primary school.
“But since I got to high school there have been no more negative comments.
“I think because people have realised what baton twirling actually is.”
‘I have to make sacrifices – but I wouldn’t change it for anything’
Ciaran’s intense training schedule – he trains five days a week and sometimes more – means he has little time for a social life.
He said: “It can be hard to see friends.
“They want to do days out and stuff, especially at this time of year.
“But I will either be training or half way across the world.
“Sometimes I do need to make sacrifices and sometimes I’ve had to miss out on holidays.
“Every time my friends want to do something I have to say, ‘No I can’t do that’.
“I want to do this with my friends but I want to keep getting better.
“So sometimes it can be a bit much.
“But I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
It can be difficult to fit Ciaran’s busy training schedule around family life as well.
Sarah, who works for A&S Drainage, and Andy, who works for the Binn Group, must work together to get their son to all his training sessions and competitions.
Sarah said: “It can be quite difficult especially from November to August when the season starts and he’s got extra training and competitions.
“I don’t think we have seen his great-gran for eight months – normally we would go round there for lunch every Sunday.
“Because he trains in Glenrothes it can be tough trying to work round our work schedules.
“We’re never sure who is at home or who is getting him. But we get there.”
Family fly to Croatia for European Twirling Cup
When I speak to Ciaran and his mum on the phone, they are due to fly out to Croatia one week from now for the European Twirling Cup, along with Andy.
At the time of publication, they will be on day five of the six-day of the tournament.
When I ask if they are looking forward to the family holiday, I get a mixed response.
Sarah said: “Yes and no. It is going to be nice to get a bit of heat.
“It is exhausting when you’re there. You can be in the sports centre from 7am to 8pm at night.”
Ciaran usually powers through these long days on a diet of Haribo sweets and Pepsi.
Sarah added: “But it is a chance to see so many people from across Europe that you don’t normally get to see.
“All the kids get on so well. It is like another family when you are away.”
It is this social aspect which Ciaran loves so much.
He said: “You get to meet so many people from across the world who love the same sport you do and seeing everyone’s passion for the same sport is so fun to watch.”
‘This is just our life’
Despite the challenges, Sarah says she can’t imagine family life any other way.
She said: “People look at us and think, ‘We wouldn’t do that. Why are you doing that?’
“But we are used to it – we don’t think anything of it.
“I think we will be lost when he stops competing.
“This is just our life.”
So what’s next for Ciaran?
He said: “I think I would like to make baton twirling my professional career and travel around the world with it.
“I just want to keep going until I can’t anymore.”
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