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‘Nothing can go wrong unless the head falls off’: Secret life of UVic’s mascot
Elena Mairs made more than 100 appearances in the heavy suit while keeping her identity hidden from fans and campus events for four years.
- Elena Mairs recently revealed her identity after four years of secretly performing as the University of Victoria mascot, Thunder. When she finally unveiled her face at the Vikes season finale, the crowd was completely stunned.
- On her very first day at UVic, Mairs approached the Vikes Nation student group to pitch herself for the gig. After a successful trial run at a children's birthday party, she landed the role.
- Mairs made more than 100 appearances as Thunder over her degree, continuing a mascot journey that began at Royal Oak Middle School and continued at Claremont Secondary. She navigated unpredictable crowds while keeping her identity a complete secret.
- Now working as a substitute teacher in Greater Victoria, Mairs said communicating entirely through body language prepared her for managing diverse classrooms. Those nonverbal skills are already translating to her professional career.
- Mairs is heading to Bristol, England, next year to teach full time. Until then, she leaves her UVic successor with one final piece of advice: "Don't be afraid of anything going wrong.
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Peninsula News Review+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
‘Nothing can go wrong unless the head falls off’: Secret life of UVic’s mascot
Inside the heavy costume of Thunder, the University of Victoria mascot, there is no cooling fan. Elena Mairs spent up to four hours at a time sweating inside the oversized Viking suit over the past four years, sneaking into closets between basketball games just to take the head off and catch her breath. But keeping her identity a complete secret from thousands of cheering fans was the real trick. When Mairs finally revealed her face at the Vikes…
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources3
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center0Last UpdatedBias Distribution100% Left
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources lean Left
100% Left
L 100%
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