Leamington cheerleaders jump for joy as they are part of winning Coventry Dynamite team

Rachel Edwards, 20, and Darcy Riman, 18, are members of the Coventry Dynamite cheer team.

They competed in the USASF World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando and achieved 10th place out of 98 teams worldwide.

Head coaches Sarah Biggs and Ryan Cleaver said they are proud of the team, made up of nine boys and 15 girls.

Laura Pittaway, who is also a coach, said cheerleading is an athletic sport.

She said: “A lot of people don’t realise exactly what’s involved in cheerleading and how much dedication each of our athletes puts in.

“To get to this standard takes hours of training every week and we are proud of the whole team who really deserve this.”

The team were only being beaten by teams for USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

They are also the current UK National Champions and fifth in the nation’s cup.

“Cheerleading is growing in popularity,” added Laura.

“It’s not just for girls either, boys are getting in on the act too.”

They are now preparing for another round of competiions, this time in Liverpool and Bournemouth.

Laura said: “It’s non-stop, but really great fun.”

If you would like to find out more about cheerleading with Coventry Dynamite, email [email protected] or telephone Sarah Biggs on 07927 845 212.