LOCAL CHEER SQUAD OFF TO DALLAS

GOLD Coast local cheerleaders from Inspire Athletics are headed to Dallas, Texas, to compete at the largest cheerleading competition in the world, the National Cheerleaders Association.

Coach Marty Koch said the girls, aged between 13 and 17, had been training together for the past seven months.

“We are so excited to take these girls to NCA. They have worked extremely hard and, for many of them, this is their ultimate dream come true in cheerleading,” he said.

“It really is an experience they will never forget, training at Texas’s mega gyms, watching their idol teams compete live and of course representing their country.”

Now in its third year of operation, Inspire Athletics, based at Biggera Waters, has become a force in the cheerleading world, according to co-owner Jen Forrest.

“Our dream was to create a facility that built young people up,” she said.

“We focus on creating positive and memorable experiences for the athletes, because at the end of the day it’s not the trophies, the banners or the jackets that people remember, it’s how they felt – and we want that to be a great feeling.”