These London, Ont. cheerleaders competing at national event debunk myths about sport

Representing London, Ont., at a national all-star cheerleading competition is a pretty big deal for teenagers Alice Walls and Sophie Robertson-Hogg, who have trained in the sport for about a decade now. 

"This has just always been my favourite thing to do and I always look forward to it," said 15-year-old Walls. "It's like my one place I can go where I can just forget about everything."

The duo is part of the Cheerstrike Royals Legacy's under-16 squad who will be competing against teams from across Canada at the national tournament in Niagara Falls this weekend. 

Their training for routines, typically lasting just over two minutes, is intense and requires rigorous teamwork, which they say gets overlooked.   

"Cheerleading is a sport that means something, it's not just something girls do to run around and look pretty," said 14-year-old Robertson-Hogg.

"All-star cheer requires a lot of strength and training just because we're working really hard to be able to perform a full routine which includes standing, running, and stunting."

The girls practice four hours twice a week and their training focuses on endurance and strength, along with building the mental capacity to prepare for competition, said their head coach Alina Willsey. 

The group of 18 athletes who are heading to nationals for the third year in a row, also earned themselves a spot at the Canadian finals — an invite-only event where cheerleaders can compete with others who perform at their level, regardless of their age group.

"The finals is for who the judges think are the best of the best teams, so it's a very big deal and it's just a fun opportunity for the girls as they end their season," said assistant coach Kelly McNicoll. 

The girls and their coaches say