CHEERLEADING is no longer just a sideline performance; it has evolved into a demanding, high-intensity sport that requires skill, strength, stamina.
89,000 athletes currently compete across the UK at recreational, competitive, and elite levels, making it one of the nation’s fastest-growing sports.
Recent docuseries, like America’s Sweethearts, have offered audiences a closer look at the dedication and athleticism behind the routines.
This has helped to reshape public perception of what cheerleading truly involves, and how teams come together to form incredible routines.
Among those performing at the sport’s highest level is Joana Varanda, a third-year Solent University student who has competed twice on cheerleading’s biggest stage.
Joana is part of Solent’s Sporting Excellence Programme, which supports talented athletes as they balance the demands of academic study with the pressures of elite competition.
This year, Joana’s team earned one of cheerleading’s greatest honours: an invitation to the International All Star Competition, known globally as Worlds.
The event brings together top teams from across the globe, each performing complex, high-energy routines.
However, despite her experience at the competition, this will be Joana’s first year participating as a flyer, being more dependent than ever on the foundations of her team.
Cheerleading’s transformation from a performance art to a recognised sport has been years in the making, and now officially acknowledged by international sporting bodies, it continues to grow in popularity and profile.
From local gyms to global arenas, cheerleading is redefining what it means to be part of a team, and Solent’s own Joana Varanda is helping to lead that charge.
Want to know more about Joana’s journey from gymnastics to cheer? Or want to find out how difficult the sport actually is?
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