Interview with IJA Triple Crown Winner Delaney Bayles

Delaney Bayles achieved something at the 2024 IJA Festival in Green Bay, Wisconsin that no other juggler has ever done. She became the first person to win all three of the IJA Stage Championships categories, completing what you might call the IJA Triple Crown. She previously won Juniors in 2015 and Teams in 2019 (with Zak McAllister), and won the Individuals Championship in Green Bay. I (David Cain / DC) interviewed Delaney (DB) eleven years ago, when she was first making a name for herself in the juggling world. I was pleased to be able to interview her again following her historic win.

DC: With your win in the 2024 IJA Individuals Championship, you are now the only person to have won Juniors, Teams, and Individuals. Was that on your mind as you prepared and competed?

DB: Winning all three divisions has been a goal of mine since I was 15 years old. I’m not sure how I knew that no one had ever done that before, but I wanted to be the first person to do so. If you go back and watch the 2015 Juniors medal presentation you can see me crying as I get my award. I dropped a lot in that act and I wasn’t sure if I was going to win. So most of the emotion in that moment was due to it being the last year that I could compete in juniors. I knew that if I didn’t win that year I could never win all three. So in a way the pressure this year was much lower as I could have come back another year and tried again.

Delaney lifts the Lucas Cup high after winning the Individuals Championship

DC: What was your preparation like for the competition? Did you have a coach this year as you did when you were younger?

DB: The act I competed with this year was my graduation act from circus school. I’ve been working on creating this act for quite a while. I worked with Andrea Murillo on the dance element of the routine and Kyle Driggs coached me on the juggling choreography sections. I have been performing this act around the juggling festival circuit for the last year at 6 different festivals. I have also been performing similar tricks in the show I was in for the last year. Other than that, I was running the act three times a day for the month leading up to the competition.

DC: Let’s step back and get some background on you for readers who might be newer to the juggling community. Can you please tell us when and how you got started juggling?

DB: I started juggling when I was 13 years old. Every summer my uncle likes to teach all of the cousins a new skill. In 2012, he taught us all to juggle. Like most jugglers, I had many hobbies growing up and juggling just seemed to be a great fit for me. I loved practicing on my own and learned a lot from watching juggling on YouTube. Growing up, my parents were very supportive and let me juggle in the living room.

DC: When I interviewed you eleven years ago, you cited Christopher Haaser, Thomas Dietz, Taylor Glenn, and Doug Sayers as early inspirations. What jugglers have inspired or supported you in last decade?

DB: Those are all great jugglers! I’m happy to now call Taylor Glenn a good friend. As for Doug Sayers, he will always be my favorite juggler. Zak McAllister has also played a large role in encouraging me to be my best, as well as to expand creatively over the last few years.

Delaney Bayles and Zak McAllister

DC: You have a number of world records, including those for 6 club backcrosses, 6 club shoulder throws, 7 ring pancakes, 7 ring backcrosses, and 7 rings overhead. What would you say are your three greatest technical juggling achievements?

DB: I am happy with the technical level I have achieved in the past. However, I tend to focus more on the future rather than looking back at what I have already done. So, I would say that my greatest technical juggling achievements right now are always in the future. My favorite record, trick, or pattern will always be the next one.

DC: As a juggling historian, I’ve stated many times that you are the most technically gifted female toss juggler of all time. I don’t know anyone who would argue that point. You also won the top spot in the yearly Top 40 Jugglers poll three times in a row. How does it feel to have achieved so much success as a juggler?

DB: I don’t focus too much on what I have achieved. I love the process of working on my goals and the pursuit of becoming better at juggling. I think a lot of what I have achieved is just a byproduct of that. I’ve been really fortunate to have a supportive family, coaches, and a really amazing group of juggling friends. I owe them all a lot for what I have been able to achieve in juggling.

DC: Can you tell us about your performing experiences in the past several years?

DB: Since graduating from circus school, I have performed in several touring shows including Hide Away Circus in New England, Circus Monti in Switzerland and Cirque Eloize in both the Province of Quebec and France. This fall I will be performing in Finland at the Hurjaruuth Winter Circus.

Delaney performing in Circus Monti

DC: Did this experience help you much in preparation for the IJA Stage Championships?

DB: Absolutely, I have a much better understanding of what is required be a performer. Looking back at when I competed in Juniors I had no stage experience and didn’t know what to expect. It has been really great to see the growth I have had as a performer. This includes even simple things like understanding how to talk to a lighting designer, knowing what I need to do for warm up, and being able to do my own stage make up.

Delaney performing in Cirque Eloize

DC: I understand that a documentary is being made about your competition experience at IJA 2024. Can you tell us a little about that?

DB: Yes, the documentary will be published on Lewis Kennedy’s YouTube channel in September. I tend to be a private person and I don’t put very much online. I hope this documentary will give a look into what makes me unique in juggling and showcase a side of my personality that most people don’t get to see. I am also hoping it will give people a peak behind the curtain of what it is like to compete in the Stage Championships at IJA and encourage more people to participate.

DC: What is your life like apart from juggling?

DB: This summer I graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health & Kinesiology. I also am an avid sports fan, and enjoy cooking, biking and running.

DC: What are your future goals, both inside and outside of juggling?

DB: Some people like to make fun of me for this, but I want to retire from juggling in my mid-thirties. That means the goals I have remaining in juggling I need to achieve in the coming years. Some of those goals are tricks or numbers related goals others involve performing in certain venues or in different countries. I’m really big on the idea of looking back on the summation of my juggling career with no regrets and believing that there was nothing left I wanted to accomplish. Post juggling I look forward to having a family, perhaps getting my Master’s Degree, and focusing on another career.

DC: What advice would you have for anyone wanting to become a great juggler?

DB: Compete in the IJA Stage Championships! It can feel daunting, but it is a great experience and will push you to improve your technical and performing abilities. Most people only remember me getting gold in each category, but I also have a bronze medal in both Juniors and Individuals. Building up a high level of technique and developing into a performer takes time. Be patient and always push yourself to be the best version of yourself that you can be.

Congratulations to Delaney Bayles for becoming the first person to win all three IJA Stage Championship categories.