A team of Cumbrian cheerleaders including three Keswick School pupils beat the Americans at their own game to be crowned U16 level 2 world champions.
Sisters Abbie, 15, and Lillia Burton, 13, both of Keswick, and Evie Sloan, 13, of Stainton, were members of the Maryport-based Cheer Force Knights academy team called Lady Supremacy who wowed the judges in the All Stars World Competition held at the Orange County Convention Center in Florida.
They were up against 87 teams in the semi-finals of the competition and improved on their ninth place against the 37 finalists to emerge as gold medallists and overall winners of the championship.
Abbie and Lillia were accompanied by their mother, Louisa Burton, on the trip and she acted as chaperone, cooking, cleaning and taxi-ing while based in the athlete’s village.
“As parents we were utterly shocked and overwhelmed,” said Louisa. “The dedication that this team of 17 has put in and the sacrifices they have made training at Maryport three times a week has paid off.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them. It’s just incredible. But we are also a bit smug because we beat the Americans at their own sport.”
Louisa said that it is a team gymnastics sport and not like the pom-pom waving cheerleaders that are seen at major sporting events in America. The girls are judged on different elements including dance, tumbling, stunts such as lifting a team member in the air as well as overall performance and appearance.
Teams from all over the world including Canada and Japan had been invited to take part in the prestigious competition.
“It was a great experience,” said Louisa. “It certainly was not a holiday as there was a lot of work involved.”
Head coach Olivia Scholey said: “I’m just so proud of all of the girls. They’ve worked so incredibly hard each week at training and at home to achieve this result.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to be a coach to these girls, they make sessions so fun and enjoyable.”
Throughout July Cheer Force Knights Maryport are holding free trial sessions for a three-week period for children to try the sport with no pressure to join.
Both boys and girls are welcome for age three plus. Details can be found on the academy’s Facebook page or by emailing [email protected]
