The cheer spirit is strong in Izabela

Izabela McClay-Talivai cheerleader.

The twelve-year-old Taupo Intermediate student describes cheerleading as her life.

So, when she moved to Taupo from Wellington with her family earlier this year, the fact that the lakeside town she now calls home had no cheerleading club did little to stop her carrying on her passion.

At least twice a week, Izabela is a and either of her parents travel to Tauranga to attend the Bay Twisters cheerleading club.

Taking on cheerleading three years ago after deciding gymnastics wasn’t for her, Izabela said she has loved it ever since.

‘‘I was doing tumbling and I was offered to do gymnastics but I didn’t like it,’’ she said.

‘‘So I decided to try cheerleading and that’s what I liked.’’

Izabela is the flier in the squad, the one who gets chucked in the air and caught by her team mates.

Since Izabela has been doing cheerleading, she has travelled to America, Hawaii, and Australia to take part in competitions.

She was part of the only team representing New Zealand who went to America in February and competed in the Nationals there.

Travelling the distance to Tauranga each time for training shows Izabela’s commitment and dedication to her sport and she says she doesn’t mind it at all.

‘‘It’s my life, literally. It’s the one thing I’m good at at and I just know that I love it,’’ she said.

And Izabela’s mum, Cilla, credits the club for making the travelling worth it.

‘‘The club is really incredibly supportive,’’ she said.

‘‘There’s no rivalry. It’s really great from a parent’s perspective.

‘‘They are her family away from home and she has a sense of belonging away from home.’’

Bay Twisters is based in Tauranga and currently has 148 members and owner, Rebecca Nutbeam, said it is growing.

‘‘We start with kids from 3 years old and up,’’ she said.

Nutbeam also credits the McClay-Talivai for their dedication.

‘‘They are so devoted, amazing.’’

Nutbeam said they would welcome any other Taupo children who’d like to get into cheerleading and share the travelling load with the McClay-Talivai family.

Anyone interested can email rebecca@baytwisters.co.nz it’s