It was a sea of bows and glitter at the Halifax Forum as the city hosted the Cheer Expo National Championship this weekend.
Thousands of cheerleaders from New Brunswick, P.E.I., Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario came to jump, stunt and tumble for a chance at gold.
“We’re so excited to be a part of it. We worked really hard all year with our team and we just want to hit zero when we go out,” said Sam Croft, who was competing on the Coastal Wave Elite team from Newfoundland.
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First-time competitors were not disappointed by the experience, with many saying it was “everything” they had imagined.
Cheerleading is an international sport that features elements of dance, acrobatics, gymnastics and physical strength. This weekend, teams of all ages took part, starting with cheerleaders as young as three.
And all the competitors had their eyes set on the big prize — a chance to compete in Orlando, Fla., in May.
“Teams that win first through third place win the opportunity to go down to a competition called The Open: Cheer and Dance finals that’s held at Universal Studios, and they can be able to compete there against other teams that have also won big from other events as well,” said Laura Mar, an organizer of the event this weekend.
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For competitors like Croft, earning an opportunity like that would be a dream come true.
“We came all the way from Newfoundland to hopefully get a world bid to compete in Orlando, Fla., next month,” she said.