Ask any cheerleader and they say they hate it, but really they wouldn’t be anything without it. It’s what we live for. They live for the adrenaline rushes after a tumbling pass, hitting a difficult stunt sequence, and rocking out the dance. Traveling around the country may seem like a pain, but it only adds to the excitement. You love showing up your top competitors, knowing you have it in you to beat them with your skills. Everyone wants to be the point spot for jumps and center for the dance, because it means you are the one who caught your choreographers eye, enough to put you smack in the middle of the judges. We live for people telling us we don’t work hard and that we aren’t a sport. We say they’re right, it’s a lifestyle. No one but ourselves would be able to handle our practices and still be moving afterwards. Most other athletes dread practice, but for us it is our escape because you have to put aside your worries, fears, and drama to do what you do. Look past the uniform and makeup and realize that’s the strongest, most daring athlete you will ever see in your life. We are the one and only; cheerleaders.