Six girls from Sydney Catholic Schools have made their mark on the international stage, placing fourth at the annual All-Star World Cheerleading Competition held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida last month.
After earning a bid at the national championships, the Shire Elite Cheerleading team, consisting of Avondale Thompson, Sianna Eyles and Amelia Bohringer from De La Salle Cronulla, Isabella Missos and Mia Carrabin from St Patrick’s College Sutherland, and Brisa Gallo from Bethany College, were offered the opportunity to represent their nation on the global platform, competing against opponents from around the world.
“It was surreal. It’s not something that many people get to experience,” Ms Boringher said.
“It was a crazy experience seeing everyone from around the world and it was great to be there with all of my teammates,” Ms Gallo added.
Despite securing an impressive fourth place in the world and first in Australia, it was receiving zero deductions for their flawless performance on the opening day of the competition that proved to be the ultimate highlight for the girls.
“The most memorable part was that moment on day one after hitting our routine and being on the world floor that other world champions have been on,” Ms Thompson said.
“It was doing a perfect routine and that feeling after, being really happy with ourselves,” Ms Carrabin added.
“It felt like all the work we had put in had paid off.”
The remarkable results were a reflection of the team’s hard work and dedication in the lead-up to the competition, which involved a rigorous training schedule, including Saturday morning sandhill sessions and daily team practice in the gym to learn and perfect their routine.
“It was intense training,” Ms Boringher explained.
“In the weeks leading up to worlds we were training pretty much every day,” Ms Carrabin said.
Looking ahead, the Shire Elite team have their sights set on the state and national championships this year, with aspirations of making a triumphant return to the world cheerleading stage in 2025.