The countdown is on for my next cheer comp!
He said
Well, it is definitely starting to get a lot more real that we’re going to The Cheerleading Worlds as Danielle had to register Emelia which meant putting our money where our mouth is. But, also the orders are going in for the team practice and event wear as well as other here and there details. We’re officially fifty-three days out, but I am sure it is going to fly up in a hurry. We will be down there for a week which will give us a bit of free time to do some exploring and fun having too. We have our time booked off work, flights locked down and even where we are staying too. The next month and a bit will be about all the money starting to exit our bank account while the excitement builds for Emelia.
Because it will be a week away from my rides here I have already started to do some research so I won’t be missing my daily rides. First off the hotel complex has what looks to be a very good fitness centre with stationary bikes that actually look better than ones I’ve experienced at our local competitions here in Ontario. But I have also been recommended a bike shop that is about 25 minutes from our hotel that has bike rentals and I am hoping can suggest from rides and groups in the area that I can latch on to, as I’d like to get at least one ride in the area if the stars and planets align. Combing the maps in the area on my bike apps it does appear as though there are some options—just hoping I can find come cycling friendlies to act as guides.
For Emelia, more marks came back this week. The one midterm she was worried about because a friend’s mark wasn’t that great, she actually found she did better than expected and got more than just passing which was what she was resigned to hoping for. But, she also got an 85.5% on her Exploring Disability Midterm which she was super proud of herself as this course has easily become her favourite this semester. It’s been so great to see her use how she found success in high school and been able to apply it to how she learns and have that same success at the university level. We are so unbelievably proud of her work ethic and drive—I use every opportunity I have to tell her how much better her marks are than mine were.
Next weekend we’re off to OCF Provincial Championships back in Brampton. I think this will be our third time at this venue (and area) this season. Valiant competes on Friday and Saturday and from what we’ve heard there might be less teams there, so it will give Valiant more opportunity to perform and place well. It will be nice if they can do that and gain a bit of positive momentum heading to Nationals and Worlds which all come next month. We’re trying to soak all this in as it’s hard to say that Emelia will return to CheerStrike next year as her age the teams they can field start to dwindle fast. And she has her eyes on trying out for Western’s team for next year.
She said
This week has been really making World’s feel very real. The entire season has built up to this: the work; the struggles; and, the sacrifices are all coming down to the prep of this week. On Thursday, the messages from the gym started—links to ordering World’s practice gear, athletes registration booking, ordering their team hoodies for Florida. It is all starting to feel very real. Things this year have been a roller coaster for sure, this is Emelia’s last year in a sport that she adores. It is her last season to take it all in. It hasn’t been easy and there will be a lot of emotions as this season wraps up. But as I was telling her on the way to practice even though this season hasn’t been exactly what she hoped and there have been frustrations she will go out with the World’s experience! No matter what happens that will be the highlight of her cheer career. Last season she was Canadian National Champion and this season she gets to practice on the iconic Disney field and compete on the World’s stage. We have told her take it all in because this will be part of her core memories.
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While we were in the middle of competition and World’s prep season Emelia is still trying to balance the rest of her life. She is finally getting back her grades from her midterms and we are so proud that she was able to get some As in the mix and even passed the exam she was convinced she failed. It is hard to believe that by the end of next month she will not only be done cheer but she will be done her first year in university. So much has changed in Emelia’s life in the last year or so and we could not be prouder of her. She has taken so much in stride over the last 12 months, life has not been easy, the challenges are huge at times but somehow and someway she is making her own way and we could not be prouder of her.