Meet Tiny Top Miss Majorette of America: Annie Galati 👑

If you follow baton twirling on social media, you may already know seven-year-old Annie Galati as “Twirling Annie.” But behind the videos is a little girl who simply really, really loves baton twirling.

The Waterville, Ohio, twirler picked up her first baton at four years old after seeing a high school majorette perform at a football game. Three years later, she has fallen completely in love with the sport and can now add Miss Majorette of America to her growing list of accomplishments!

We caught up with Annie to talk about where her love of twirling began, the coaches who make practices special, her lucky competition traditions and what she wants to be when she grows up.

It Started at a Football Game

All it took was one majorette. Annie was four years old when she watched a high school majorette take the field at a football game. After that, there was no turning back.

"I wanted to twirl everything!" Annie said.

Today, Annie's favorite event is strut, especially because she gets to show off her flexibility. Her baton bag is also exactly what you might expect from a seven-year-old twirler. She keeps her batons and jazz shoes inside, of course, but there are also lots of prizes from Miss Andrea's prize bin.

"My Name Is Annie and I Can Do This"

Annie has developed her own routine before she competes.

First come what her parents call her "happy feet," although they also lovingly refer to it as the "potty dance."

Then Annie gives herself a little pep talk. "My name is Annie and I can do this."

Finally, she wipes her feet on her lucky towel before heading onto the floor.

If she could pick any song for her dream routine, Annie would choose Watch Me Work from Trolls Band Together. Considering her pre-competition pep talk, we'd say the title fits her pretty well!

The Moment She Heard Her Name 👑

When it came time for the Miss Majorette of America awards, Annie truly didn't know what was going to happen.

"I was feeling so surprised, and I had no idea if I was going to win," she said.

Then she heard her name.

"Once I heard my name, I couldn't believe it!"

And just like that, Annie became Miss Majorette of America.

Two Coaches, Lots of Love

When Annie talks about the people who have made a difference in her twirling journey, two names immediately come to mind: Miss Mazie and Miss Andrea.

Miss Mazie was Annie's very first coach. "She never gave up on me," Annie said. "She always encourages me and makes me smile." Now that Miss Mazie is attending Purdue, Annie says she misses her very much.

Then there's Miss Andrea, who has found plenty of ways to make all that hard work fun.

Annie loves their early morning "coffee cheers" and, of course, the famous prize bin that keeps her baton bag well stocked.

"She is always there for me no matter if I'm happy or sad," Annie said. "I love my coaches so much and am so lucky."

Getting to Know Twirling Annie

One thing Annie loves about being "Twirling Annie" is getting to meet other people in the sport.

She especially enjoys asking twirlers from different places questions and discovering how baton terminology changes around the world. "My favorite part is learning how people from different parts of the world pronounce different tricks," Annie said. "The tricks have different names depending on where you are from."

But when Annie isn't talking about twirling, she's probably still doing something active.

She loves gymnastics and learning new skills. She also loves her Monster High dolls and playing outside with her little brother, Cubby.

And here's something you might not know about Annie: she loves to run! She completed her first 5K last year and had a great time doing it.

Annie's Favorite Things 💕

Annie is definitely choosing sweet over salty, the beach over the mountains and playing outside over staying inside.

She's also Team Cats, even though she happens to have a dog.

Her favorite food is gluten-free pizza with black olives, and one of her favorite places is Universal Orlando. When it's movie time, she's watching Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.

And when it comes to strut versus 2-Baton?

Strut wins easily.

When Annie Grows Up...

At seven years old, Annie already knows what she wants to be when she grows up.

A baton coach.

"I love to teach new baton tricks!" she said.

For a little girl who started twirling because she saw another majorette on a football field and thought, I want to do that, there's something pretty special about Annie already dreaming about becoming the person who teaches the next little girl to twirl.

Congratulations to Annie Galati, Little Miss Majorette of America! 👑✨

Keep twirling, keep spreading your love of twirling and, most importantly, keep reminding yourself:

"My name is Annie and I can do this."