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Cheer Legacy heading to world championships

Mar 21, 2018 | 12:00 PM

Traditionally, the Ides of March is thought to be unlucky, but you would be hard-pressed to find any member of the Cheer Legacy Athletics Dynasty team who sees it that way.

That was the day the North Battleford cheerleading squad, comprised of fifteen athletes aged 15 to 26, learned that they were invited to compete at the 2018 USASF Cheerleading World Championships in Orlando, Florida in April. Cheer Legacy Athletics (CLA) Coach Lesia Rathje told battlefordsNOW she received the team’s invitation March 15 before a practice.

“After I received the invitation I went to the gym and told the kids and they started screaming, hugging and crying,” Rathje said. “It was a pretty special moment for them, and for me.”

According to Rathje, the CLA Dynasty team has been training since June 2017 to perfect their routine for this opportunity. In addition to the six hours of weekly training at the club level, the athletes have been working with instructors from Canada and the U.S. and taking part in competitions across Western Canada.

“They should be very proud of this achievement with the amount of work they have put in,” Rathje added. “It’s hard for people who aren’t part of the sport to understand that this is the absolute greatest honour to be invited to.”

Rathje said their routine is two and a half minutes jam-packed with stunts, tumbling, jumps and dancing. Local area residents will have an opportunity to see all of the Cheer Legacy Athletics teams at their annual showcase Saturday, March 31 at the Nations West Fieldhouse in North Battleford at 12 p.m.

“It’s the only time we ever perform in our own community, so it’s a great chance for everyone to come out and see what this super talented group of individuals will be doing at the world championships,” she said.

In addition to the many fundraisers the Cheer Legacy Athletics Dynasty have done over the past year, the group has started a GoFundMe page to help with expenses during the team’s trip to Florida.

 

roger.white@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @RJWtheReporter