All-Star Oldest Competitive Cheerleader

We had a 48 year old on my team last year!!!! She tumbled and everything!!!!!

I love all of these posts about older people at Worlds!! Everyone keeps asking me when I'm finally going to retire and it's nice to hear of older people still doing it. As I've said before, if I'm not holding my team back, why shouldn't I keep doing it??

Some of y'all are making me feel like a wimp! haha I'm only 19 (technically could have super seniored this season but my dad said no because of college) and I haven't tumbled at all in about 9 months =/ I plan on getting back in the gym so that I can try for an open team next season but I know my body is gonna hate me. Although I have been working out at LA Fitness so I'm not quite where I was when I was like 17 but I'm in decent shape!

Ashley said:

None, haha. That's my problem and I know it. Plus the lack of proper warming up. I literally don't know how to workout though. If I went to the gym I would run on the treadmill for a bid and probably blankly stare at the other equipment there.


What gym?!

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I actually thought the exact same thing before I started working out in a real gym! My mom was encourageing me to join LA Fitness with her and I was like uhhhhhhh TREADMILL FOR LYFEEEEEEEE!!! And that's how it was the first time I went. I ran and then just kinda walked around looking for people who looked like they knew what they were doing and copied them. But now I love going to workout and I actually know what I'm doing! haha =)

Ashley said:

I actually used to cheer on their open team. They compete, more than I do now, they just don't go to very big comps so they're usually the only team. I haven't been there in a few years though so I'm not sure who you're talking about.

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What a small world! My gym used to go to their competition since it was during a lull in the season and I always remember seeing this woman and being shocked time and time again that she was out on the mat.

I'm 23 and I miss it like woah, but I probably couldn't do anything but stunting. My lower back has been bothering me again, so I know BHS are out of the question. Most I can do is handstands, cartwheels and a RO.

James speed competed with open at 40 something and did a rewind awesome.

I'm proud of the fact that at my age (43) I can still hang stunt-wise with the co-ed 6 crowd. I tried out for Team Canada again this year but didn't make the cut, though the stunt partner I trained did (good luck Victoria). My current real weakness is my lack of tumbling. I can do standing tucks but jumps-to-tuck have been a come and go skill for a few years now and I have never done more than a few handsprings for running tumbling.

With regards to injuries I've had a few, some cheer related -- most not. ACL reconstructions on both knees, dislocated shoulders, sprained ankles and wrists, you know the usual stuff. The last one was a dislocated shoulder back in May 2012 which didn't heal up until after I stopped competing in December. Being a main base in all the pyramids was just making it impossible to get better. Now I'm injury free and feeling pretty good.

So right now I'm in hardcore training mode (while the rest of you are in competition mode), packing on more muscle and learning to tumble. I can do RO-HS-Tuck now and I plan to have a layout by tryouts in May. My tumbling is self directed at the moment with a little advice from friends who actually know how to tumble. At least it no longer looks scary, or so they tell me.

I'm not done by a long shot, and any time I'm in a gym and hear some 20-something person say "I'm too old for this" I just shake my head. I only started when I was 19, with no athletic background at all (seriously, I was the definition of nerdy bookworm) but through effort and determination I have kept improving my skills over the years. I can only put in a couple of nights a week, what with my other life responsibilities, and I do envy those who have the time to train more.

I have said that I will continue until I can no longer meet the requirements of a competitive team. There will be no 'parents' team for me (I've already been asked multiple times as I have two boys who are now just entering their teens -- man how time flies).

My plans for the coming season: stay healthy; join a co-ed 6 team, or co-ed 5 if my tumbling is good enough, with the goal of going to Worlds; tryout for Team Canada Premier; find a stunt partner who WANTS to enter partner stunt competitions in the 2013 season.

[I know that there are a few other Canadians who read this message board. If any of you know a flyer, in Ontario (near Toronto would be best), that is looking to really push her partner stunting drop me a PM.]

So, at 44 I expect to be on the stage at Worlds once again and hopefully representing Canada as well. So to any other 'old-folks' out there still pushing it -- I'm sure they share my fierce joy at meeting the challenge and rising to it -- keep doing it as long as you still love it. I will.

so there is one team in scotland who has a mums level 1 team but i swear they announced the oldest member is in her 60's!!

Ashley said:

None, haha. That's my problem and I know it. Plus the lack of proper warming up. I literally don't know how to workout though. If I went to the gym I would run on the treadmill for a bid and probably blankly stare at the other equipment there.


What gym?!

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A proper warm-up with be something like a light, 5 minute jog, followed by some active stretching. Doing Starting Strength would probably help you a lot - it's all Olympic lifts, and is comprised of 3 exercises. You can go 2-3 times a week. Workout A is Squats, Bench, Deadlift, and Workout B is Squats, OH Press, Power Clean. You'll probably only be in the gym for an hour each session, but you'll see a dramatic increase in strength.

This is a good site for info on it: Starting Strength Wiki

One of the flyers on Phoenix is 36

Statecheer said:

I am a 36 year old mom of two, and this will be my 4 th year competing at worlds. My husband is 39 and this will also be his 4 th year competing at worlds. I love doing it for all of the moms out there, and also love walking out on the mat to my daughters yelling- go mom!!
Doing it for all of you moms out there!!!!

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:cheering::chestbump::jawdrop:

I just turned 25 recently, I competed through May 2012 on a level 6 team. Wasn't really up-to-par in tumbling because I was fighting an injury the entire season - which ultimately left me needed ankle surgery in July 2012. Was on crutches for 10 weeks, with physical therapy for 6 weeks. And then just recuperation for awhile... Now I've been hitting Planet Fitness and am trying to gain the courage to check out open gym at a local gym to finally get back into tumbling... Toe to Tuck and thru to Full ... here I come!

i wish i could cheer till i was 50...i can't imagine the shape i'd be in! but i'm 23 and the THOUGHT of it makes me sore. props to you guys! now i feel like a big wimp

Our fabulous coach is 35; 3 kids; and a flyer on Stealth Phoenix! I'm always amazed by her . Especially now that they are NCA champs