By Callie Honeycutt, Staff Writer
A lot of people go on winter vacations. From snorkeling with sea turtles and tanning in the Virgin Islands to kicking up snow and skiing at Snowshoe, the options are endless.
For sophomores Virginia Godley and Emily Byrum, their winter vacation this year is going to be in London.
“We made an All-American Cheer team. We’re going to perform in the New Year’s Day Parade in London,” Byrum said.
Godley and Byrum tried out at the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) camp at UNC-Chapel Hill this summer. At camps across the country, more than 50,000 cheerleaders tried out and only about 5,000 made the team. Not all of them will make the trip, but hundreds of girls and boys do.
Like any other team, they have to practice. But with the team being made up of girls from across the country, it’s easy to see how this could pose a problem as they perform in the parade with a street-side audience of a million people and a TV audience of 20 million.
“You get videos sent to you,” Byrum said of how the cheerleaders are supposed to learn their moves.
“We’re group one and our dance is ‘Love Train,’ and when we get there we will have practices in the hotel,” Godley said.
To make an All-American Cheer team takes major cheering skills. Godley has been cheering for eight years and Byrum for six years. They first started with competition squads and have since been on the First Flight middle and high school teams.
“My favorite part of cheering would definitely have to be performing,” Byrum said.
Added Godley: “My favorite part about cheer is getting to be with my friends every day.”
FFHS cheer coach Cindy McNeill has had multiple girls qualify for the UCA All-American honor and three participate in the parade. Byrum and Godley have been cheering with McNeill for three years.
“They are coachable,” McNeill said. “When I need to tell them that they need to work on something, they work on it. They are constantly trying to improve.”
This trip will only help make them better. The girls leave for London on Dec. 26 and will visit for a week. They will go to places like Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Big Ben.
“I’m most looking forward to going to all the museums and seeing the live play ‘Wicked,’ ” Godley said.
Then, Byrum and Godley are looking forward to cheering in London and showcasing their skills.
“I really feel like this will be a positive experience and it will help with my cheering,” Godley said.
Sophomore Callie Honeycutt can be reached at 22honeycuttca54@daretolearn.org.
