What is it like to be the GNS Gryphon

December 9, 2022

Academics

GNS

Diving into her mascot’s character, Caitlin engaged in a dance-off with the other mascots in attendance, all of whom were Professional Mascots. We asked Caitlin about her first experience as the Gryphon mascot.

Why were you at UVic dressed as the Gryphon?

It was the UVic mascot Thunder’s birthday and he invited all of his mascot friends to attend his birthday party.

What made you want to participate?

I thought this was a very unique opportunity—I mean, how often can you be a mascot at a university-level game with other mascots? I’m also challenging myself to try new things and seize every opportunity GNS has to offer.

What was the experience like?

It was so much fun! I had my spotter, Sophie Davies ‘24, come with me, and we had a blast. I went around giving high-fives to kids, some of whom gave me hugs and asked for pictures, which was very heartwarming and rewarding. The mascots also had a dance-off, which was nerve-wracking but again, fun. All of the other mascots were professional, so they were doing backflips and round-offs and I was just wiggling my butt. I was able to do the splits though, so I had a little something up my sleeves. But it was still nothing compared to what the others were doing.

What was your favourite part?

I have three favorite parts:

The first was remaking the gryphon with [my host family] the Girards. The Gryphon costume was a little old when we got it out at first, so we had to sew some parts back together and clean it a bit. It was a whole family project and we were really proud of the outcome.
The second is choreographing with Sophie. She helped me come up with my moves for the dance-off and we had so much fun just dancing backstage.
The third is getting mascot tips from Ms Hall. She told me stories of her times in mascot suits and I learned a lot.

How did this entire experience make you feel?

I honestly had a lot of fun! I felt like I accomplished something, gained a special experience and was really proud of myself.

We are very proud of you Caitlin for doing an amazing job representing GNS as our Gryphon Mascot and rising to the challenge of a dance-off against Professional Mascots!