An international cheerleading competition beckons next summer for two energetic West Nottinghamshire College A-Level students.

Wren Newcombe (left), 16, and Ellie Cheeseman, 17, both from Shirebrook have just completed another national cheerleading competition with their group, Destiny Cheer, which saw the group come first in the International Cheerleading Coalition (ICC) at the Wildcats Arena, Cheer City, Nottingham.

This means the team of 19 has secured spot that will see them compete in the world championship in America in 2023. Destiny Cheer competed in the Cheer and Dance competition organised by Cheer City, where they secured the world championship spot that allows them to compete in Florida next year.  Cheer City is a provider for cheerleading competitions, where teams are put forward to compete for different bids.

Ellie and Wren both study the Advanced Extended Certificate in Sport and Exercise Science at the college alongside A-Levels in chemistry, maths and biology. The duo, who have known each other since primary school joined the cheerleading troupe in 2019.

This year has seen the duo take part in their first season of competitions, with their first competition earlier this year in Manchester and one in Telford. The troupe secured second place at this Allstar Nationals event, competing with many other UK cheerleading teams.

Wren said: “Allstar cheerleading is different to the side-line cheerleading which you seen in America when they support sports teams with cheer routines.

“Our routines are all choreographed by our coach and consist of stunts, tumble flips, dance and the pyramid. We don’t support sports teams – our kind of cheerleading is a sport in its own right. It’s a risky sport and sometimes we do fall but our dance and gymnastics training helps us with balance and poise”

During the Florida competitions in 2023 the girls will be taking family members along and they will be able to enjoy a holiday during the two-week stay. During the visit there will be a number of competitions for them to take part in.

Ellie said: “We’re so excited about going to America and the whole team work together so well. If we didn’t all put the effort in we simply wouldn’t be able to perform as we do. It’s a very big team sport and we train once a week for up to four hours, but closer to competitions we train more frequently.”

Elle and Wren’s tutor Jade Burke said: “The sports tutors are very pleased and proud of Ellie and Wren’s success after securing the teams place in Florida finals.

“Both students work really hard in college and have demonstrated their cheerleading skills to other members of the group during coaching and performance. We wish them all the best in the competition and to enjoy this fantastic experience!”