Meet the real-life underdog who won gold in a national cheerleading after a body transformation.
Long days and training is essential to becoming a national cheer champion.
Lorella Palmer from Manchester, UK, travelled six hours to be able to compete on the day, and recently went through a body transformation to get into competition shape.
She helped her them the London Dynasty Cheer team get both a gold and silver medal.
When discussing the experience she said, “Comp days are always so exciting, there’s so much adrenaline, but also anxiety.
“It’s long, long, long days as a cheerleader. But I really wouldn’t change for the world best sport ever.”
Lorella expressed how competition days can be very overwhelming, with thousands of people in a room and music blaring.
She often septs away to the quieter areas like the merch sections to giver herself a break.
She performed in back-to-back routines with both a level one and level two team, barely catching her breath between performances.
However, she says that’s just how she likes it and she wouldn’t swap her long days or team for the world.
To ensure she was in tip top shape for the event she put it in the hours and hard work to lose an extra 15 pounds, which in cheer makes all the difference.
Lorella explains: “I’ve lost 15 pounds, and I was feeling myself and my uniform today was such a good feeling.
“Comp days are always so exciting, like, there’s so much adrenaline, but also anxiety.
“It’s just like a mix of emotions.”
She added: “I was competing with both a level one and a level two team.
“If you’ve ever been to a cheer competition, you will know there are literally 1000s of people there, and it can be so overwhelming.
“I always forget just how busy is, until you get into the room and then you’re like, wow, there’s a lot of people here. The music is absolutely booming.
The cheerleading pro even performed with one team and managed to run around in time to perform with another team.
She explained: “We got gold medal. We were so stoked.
“We had a six hour journey home, long, long, long days as a cheerleader. But I really wouldn’t change for the world best sport ever.”