Lead: She calls herself the band's personal cheerleader, but there's much more to University of Iowa Golden Girl Chelsea Russell than Hawkeye football games. A top contender in the baton twirling world, Russell learned all she knows from one person...a person who didn't even want her twirling in the first place.


Take PKG: Runs 1:34

Chelsea Russell:

I started twirling when I was about three years old. My mom is my baton coach and has been a baton coach I think since she was 16 years old, so for a very, very long time. She was a national champion herself, she was I think the first baton twirler to win the talent award at Miss America, she was extremely talented herself.

My mom didn't want me to twirl. I was born pigeon-toed. I would literally trip myself over my own feet and I was just kind of a basically uncoordinated and inflexible kid. So my mom started me with one of my babysitters, who was one of her intermediate level students. Finally, my mom agreed to teach me and basically made me who I am today.

Kelli Russell:

I just feel like there was a reason way back then. I just felt that I was successful in my competitive baton twirling career and I thought it would be difficult for her to live up to, you know, a relative that had been successful.

In retrospect, I mean that was the most ridiculous thought process ever, because she far surpassed what I ever did.

Chelsea Russell:

I'll never forget my sophomore year I came off after halftime, and my mom came down to bring me a Diet Coke, it's kind of like a little tradition, and she came down and she said, "You are my hero."And that's something she'd never really said to me before, she was like, "You are doing tricks out there that people wouldn't dare to do in competition." And she was like, "I'm so proud of you for having the confidence to do that."

It's really all because of her that I got to where I am.


Tag: Russell will be performing at the Iowa-Northwestern game in Evanston, Illinois this weekend, with her mom watching her from the stands.