Pressure makes sapphires. Surrounded by the deafening noise of thousands of fans, Mackenzie Bronk, unable to hear, focuses internally on what she is about to accomplish. In this moment, she turns into the extraordinary Blue Sapphire, the jewel of the Penn State blue band.
It all seems effortless and every spin and catch is seamless. On the surface, she appears calm, as if any anxiety or doubt has disappeared. Hidden behind Sapphire’s cool complexion, however, is what lies underneath; it is her raw talent that brings this beloved character to life. She did not get there simply on talent alone, through rigorous mental and physical growth she not only captivates all of Beaver Stadium but has modernized baton-twirling to do so.
Bronk’s love for twirling began at only six years old, stemming from a family bonded by the art form. “Our whole life has been baton twirling … My mom, she twirled, my grandma twirled, it’s like a generational thing,” Bronk says.
Along with her sisters, she began competitions, practices and performances with the love of the sport bonding them and the generations before. It became apparent that Bronk was naturally gifted as things would come easier than for others. When she didn’t meet her expectations, however, self-doubt crept in.
“If I didn’t do how I wanted to. I would take it out on my mom,” Bronk says. Reflecting on growing up in this competitive arena, “I wanted to be good if not better than what she was, just because she put so much time and effort into it.”
This frustration and competitiveness is something Bronk dealt with from an early age. Facing immense pressure and nonstop practice she felt the need to live up to the expectations she set for herself.
“At first, it was very much ‘I want to win. I want to get first [place],’’’ Bronk says. This fiery intensity can fuel a passion, but use too much of it and burnout will be inevitable. “The amount of times I [placed] second, I counted on my hands once, was like eight times. By the time I’m in high school, I’m like, ‘I want to hang out with my friends, I don’t want to do this anymore. I keep getting second, so what is the point?’”
With each loss, her competitive spirit dimmed along with the love for the sport she had spent endless hours perfecting. Keeping what remained of her determination, she persevered. “I was able to have my coach push me and I was always aware there was something better that I could be doing or something else that I could win or be striving to win.” She credits her coach and family for keeping this passion inside her alive, but it was not just them. She was able to change her mindset and grow not only as an athlete but as a person.
A positive outlook is something Bronk heavily prioritizes in every aspect of her life. “Humility is huge. You’re not the best, you could find someone ten times better than you just looking on Instagram. You have to be humble in yourself, but then also know that it is important to persevere when you are having a hard time.”
With this newfound inspiration and outlook, Bronk was unstoppable. Once becoming Blue Saphire, she not only had the flexibility of performing to entertain but had an audience unlike any she had encountered before.
Not having that [competition] score there takes that pressure off of me, but trying to think, what does the audience want to see? How can my 5’1 self be projected all the way to the top of Beaver Stadium?
Mackenzie Bronk
Shaking off anxiety and nerves, Bronk can face the crowd and use this opportunity to introduce others to something that is such an essential part of who she is.
“For me, it is finding what I enjoy in baton twirling and sharing that with the world,” Bronk says, “Every time I went onto the floor to compete or go into Beaver Stadium I’m thinking about the people who don’t know baton twirling and what they [would] like to see so that they think, ‘oh wow, that’s cool’ and even the baton twirlers that do know it very well think, ‘that’s different I’ve never seen that, maybe I should try that.’”
She can transform into a character and improvise incredible routines. Her influence has made baton-twirling an integral part of Penn State’s football culture as fans fall in love with her radiant personality and unique twirling style.
“It is an art form, you can make it whatever you want,” Bronk says, “You can pick and choose what you want to do and make it your own based on your own abilities and that’s the beauty of it.”
She has not only grown as a performer but as a person. Staying humble and remaining positive has allowed her to continue sharing her talent and inspiring others to go after theirs as well.
“It’s scary, but be comfortable being uncomfortable, because if you’re not uncomfortable for just a second, you’re really not going to learn and you’re not going to grow. As much as that’s easy to say and hard to do, once you do it, so many doors open,” Bronk says, reflecting on going after opportunities, including the one that led her to become Blue Sapphire.
Go for anything you’re interested in, don’t be scared about what other people are going to think, because people are going to judge you either way.
Mackenzie Bronk
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