I grew up participating in the sport of competitive cheerleading. As cheesy as it sounds, I believe the sport shaped me into who I am today. It taught me determination and commitment, gave me the best of friends, and opened my eyes to what dedicating a little bit of my time could mean to someone else.
I always had a passion for working with those with disabilities. I enjoyed volunteering with groups like the Special Olympics and Challenger League Sports throughout high school. I wanted to combine this passion with my passion for cheerleading.
I grew up in the gym, cheering from 2nd grade all the way through my senior year. When I was younger my gym had a cheerleading team for athletes with special needs. However, at some point in my 10 years at Premier Athletics that team ended.
My senior year, myself and a friend decided to bring it back. Our team was going to be called the Brave Sharks. We got the coaches behind us and they trusted us, two high school girls, to get the team up and going. We were able to do so, and I am happy to say that 5 years later the team is still going strong!
I will carry the lessons I learned from this experience with me for the rest of my life. I learned how to be in charge and lead my peers. I learned how to be a better cheerleader. I learned how to communicate with parents and event coordinators. Most of all, I learned so much from the athletes I got to work with. Cheerleading is about having fun and I loved watching the sweet boys and girls shine when they got on stage!
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