Angels Lead the Cheer for Gold
Cheerleading. What are the first thoughts that come to your mind when you think of it? Well, I’m here to explain that
this sport is more than meets the eye.
this sport is more than meets the eye.
Cheerleading is a very physical activity. Performing a competitive routine may only take two and a half minutes, but it is jam-packed with various components, such as tumbling, jump sequences, pyramids, stunting, and dancing, that challenge an athlete’s ability like no other. It is an extremely strenuous routine that really puts your cardio and athleticism to the test.
Just to give a quick background about myself – I did competitive gymnastics for 10 years up until I was 14 years old, reaching the National level, before I decided to retire from the sport to focus more on my studies at LFA. It was a very difficult decision to make because I loved the sport so much and, as do most gymnasts, I had a dream to hopefully make it to the Olympics one day. However, after thinking about having to juggle my schooling, being involved in school programs, and being able to keep up with 30+ hours a week of gymnastics training, it just did not seem possible to continue with the sport. This was something that I have always regretted.
After I graduated from LFA, I attended the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business and majored in Accounting. It was in my first year at UBC when I was introduced to cheerleading. I was instantly hooked to this sport because it resembled gymnastics with all the tumbling and acrobatic skills incorporated. From there, I pursued this interest and went on to compete (and travel) at the Collegiate level with UBC and in the All-Star Open level for the next seven years with several teams, which included Total Spirit Magic, Vancouver All-Stars, and Absolute Cheer. I put in a lot of hours into this sport – I practiced at least three times a week for at least 15 hours a week.
After graduating from UBC, I started working full-time with KPMG, an accounting firm. Again, I was conflicted on whether or not to continue with cheerleading, a sport I’d grown to love as much as gymnastics. I was faced with having to balance full-time work (with overtime), studying 20 or more hours a week for my Chartered Accountancy designation, and fit in 15+ hours of cheerleading training. However, after much contemplation, I decided I was not going to make the same mistake twice and continued with cheerleading despite my busy schedule. I knew inside my heart that I made the right decision.
There is a prestigious competition held in Orlando, Florida every April, where countries from all over the world send teams comprised of 24 athletes to compete at the ICU World Cheerleading Championships, which was introduced in 2009. The International Cheer Union (ICU) is a non-profit, international governing entity, encompassing 101 National Federations, dedicated to the positive advancement of cheerleading throughout the world.
Back in January 2012, I decided to tryout for Team Canada to compete at the ICU World Cheerleading Championships. I was one of hundreds that tried out to be part of Team Canada at the beginning of February. I was very fortunate to have made the team, given the fact I had just came back into the sport after taking a two year break.
Training with Team Canada comprised only a one week, intense training camp in Toronto that occurred the week before the actual competition in Florida. This is the time where all the athletes that were selected across Canada meet for the first time to train together for seven days (six hours a day) to cohesively put together a routine and perfect it. I have to say that my experience at the training camp is something I’ll never forget. I have never pushed my body to its limits the way I did during those seven days. I had mixed feelings of satisfaction, frustration and exhaustion throughout the entire training, but it was an amazing experience to meet new people and develop lifelong friendships, as well as work with them to achieve our one ultimate goal – winning gold at the Championships for Canada!
After seven strenuous but constructive days with time in between to recover, it was finally competition day in Orlando. Most teams in our division have been training together as a team for months, so there were definitely some nerves being felt. However, Team Canada was as ready as we could be after just a short time together.
On April 27, 2012, we performed what we’d been working so hard on. Let me tell you, what I experienced at that competition was surreal. It was an amazing feeling to walk out on the world stage and see the stands filled with many proud Canadian supporters all wearing red/white, holding Canadian flags, and cheering for our team. It was one of the most memorable moments I have ever experienced. What felt like nerves just seconds before stepping onto the mat, had disappeared after what we witnessed. We just have to trust that what we have put in the last few days will pay off!
Finally, what felt like an eternity after we had finished competing, it was time for the awards ceremony. To our amazement, Team Canada was called out to win the GOLD in our division. The feeling of winning gold was priceless. It made me feel that all the hours I put in preparing myself for this competition, as well as the one week training camp we endured in Toronto before flying out to Florida, was well worth the effort.
This is actually my third time competing at this prestigious event with Team Canada. My twin sister, Stephanie, and I were previously selected to be on the team in 2009 and 2010, where we also won gold in both years. However, I think this time around, it meant a lot more to me to be a part of this team because of my time away from the sport after I retired back in 2010. I was one of the oldest female athletes on the team.
After realizing how passionate I am about this sport and how large of a role it played in my life to make me who I am today, I am happy I had the chance to get back on the competition mat to represent Canada and be one of the oldest female on the team to win gold again. It meant the world to me.
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Tel: 604-738-9016
Support LFA | Contact Us | School Calendar
