ST John Fisher College student Shelby Davidson-Pilkington experienced the trip of a lifetime when she travelled to Dallas, Texas to compete in the largest cheerleading competition in the world.
With financial help from St John Fisher College’s Parents and Friends Association, the Year 11 student joined more than 20,000 cheerleaders representing 43 American states and 10 countries to compete in the US 2020 National Cheerleaders Association's All-Star National Championships.
Although her Deception Bay club, Cheer FX, coached by Miranda and Karen Offield, missed out in the finals, Shelby said their routine, which lasted only two and half minutes, was simply exhilarating.
“The aim is to “Hit Zero” (earning no deductions) but at the end of the routine, no matter the result, knowing you have done your best puts a smile on your face,” she said.
Principal Catherine Galvin the college community was very proud of Shelby and her commitment to her sport.
“At St John Fisher College we support students in their wide variety of interests, including those not offered at the college,” she said.
Shelby, who started out as gymnast, discovered the sport of “Cheer” when she was 10 years old and six years later had progressed to ‘Senior Level 5’.
Not for the faint hearted, Cheer has led to many injuries, including several broken thumbs and a dislocated knee.
Nonetheless, Shelby said she loved the sport and trusted her team and coaches implicitly.
“My greatest achievement to date is winning Nationals in 2018 in my stunt group, Golden Guns, but competing in Dallas has to be the absolute pinnacle”, Shelby said.
“This was my first time overseas and I was nervous, but also very excited; it was the trip of a lifetime.”
Besides performing under the spotlight at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre, Shelby had the opportunity to meet other cheerleaders from around the globe and explore all Dallas had to offer.