“To see where we’ve come in ten months is incredible,” says 705 Athletics founder Tara Slumskie, who has had an incredibly successful year leading the Sault’s newest cheerleading company.
“The hope is to grow the sport,” she adds. “Cheerleading in northern Ontario is few and far between. There’s lots of teams in southern Ontario, but when you start to go up north, there’s definitely a lot less.” Back in January, that same team also finished first at Extreme Chill in Barrie, while 705 Athletics’ other competitive team also had a strong showing.
Turning ten years old last weekend, she’s already working towards a spot on one of the club’s competitive teams. Meanwhile, cheerleading is brand-new for Lyla Johnson, an eight-year-old who has also been enjoying her time on one of the company’s recreational teams.“I get to learn new things,” she says. “I get to perfect things too. It’s just been really fun.”