Competitive cheerleaders at Laurier head to world championships in Florida
The competitive cheerleading team from Wilfrid Laurier University is gearing up for the University World Cup Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida.
This comes after the all-girl squad took home the top spot at the PCA National Cheerleading Championships for the tenth time over the weekend.
While the team is no stranger to winning, this will be their first time going to worlds which are slated for January 2023.
“Basket tosses, tumbling, jumps, stunting [and] pyramids,” co-head coach Marley Martin said, listing just some of the moves they did for their national’s routine.
But they’re preparing a brand new routine as the rules are different for the international competition compared to nationals.
“We have to take out jumps and dance, and we have to add in a cheer,” said Martin. “So, we have some serious practicing to be doing.”
Martin said her girls are working hard by practicing three times a week and hitting the gym at least twice a week.
“She said it takes a lot of discipline and most importantly, trust, to be a good competitive cheerleader.
“They have to know the exact count that they need to be letting go of something so that they can catch you as you’re coming off from two-and-a-half people high,” Martin said.
The team captain Simone Shanks said that trust is built over time.
“A lot of it is just spending time with each other and team bonding and making sure that you’re developing your friendships,” she said.
Shanks has been on the team for four years, but this is her last year. Shanks said over the years she’s noticed some stereotypes when it comes to cheerleading and is hoping to flip the narrative. The team said the work they do puts a physical and mental toll on your body.
“They think it’s just saying different cheers and ‘go team’ all the time. But it’s a lot more than that,” Shanks said.
For the World Cup Cheerleading Championships, the purple and gold said their goal is perfection.
“The biggest goal is just perfecting it and building as much trust as we can to do a perfect routine and hopefully make that the winning routine,” Shanks said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Montreal doctors' breakthrough discovery about causes of cerebral palsy giving hope
A breakthrough discovery made by doctors at the Montreal Children's Hospital about the causes of cerebral palsy is giving new hope to one West Island family.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
For years she thought her son had died of an overdose. The police video changed all that
Austin Hunter Turner died in 2017, on a night that his mother has rewound and replayed again and again, trying to make sense of what happened.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.