By HARRY CLARKE
CADET horse racing steward by day, star cheerleader by night – Olivia Legg has perfect balance.
The 19-year-old is currently working to become a Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) thoroughbred steward, and she’s fitting her training at the racetrack with her training as part of a world-class cheerleading team.
Legg’s steward work has taken her to country racing tracks such as Nanango and Gympie, while in April she flew to Orlando, Florida with her team of 18 athletes, the Outlaws Allstars Diamonds, to compete at the World Cheerleading Championships.
“It has been an ambition of mine for years to compete at the world championship and the pandemic played havoc with those plans,” she said.
“Staying positive, keeping healthy and working towards that goal was extremely important to me, so finding that balance between cheer and work was all part of it.”
Competing as a “flyer”, Ms Legg completed a series of death-defying mid-air stunts as part of her team’s routine, which they performed over two gruelling days.
Legg hails from a family of racing industry participants, including father Garry Legg, a successful jockey.
Now she is completing the training modules to become a fully-fledged QRIC steward, part of the team tasked with ensuring the safety and welfare of racing animals and participants, as well as compliance with the Rules of Racing.
Her busy schedule means juggling work with the demands of elite cheer training is the ultimate balancing act.
In the lead-up to the competition, she would race from the track to the gym to train twice a week from 7-10pm.
In the USA, the team trained two to three times a day in preparation.
Legg said that QRIC worked with her to accommodate her weekly training sessions.
“Cheer requires full commitment as you’re part of a team, and having all members present for training is essential,” she said.
“It was a juggle with work at times, but I never missed a training session!
“At nineteen years of age, I’m proud to have achieved a goal that I set out to reach with the help of QRIC, who provided flexibility and understanding throughout the journey.”
Following her success at this year’s World Cheerleading Championships, Legg is taking a break from the sport to focus on her career in the racing industry.
