International Hospitality and Tourism Management student, Rebecca McQueen, will be representing Scotland at the World Cheerleading Championships in USA in April.
Earlier this year, she received an award of £670 from the Susan Smith International Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management Student Development Fund, to help her with the costs of competing at the world’s largest cheerleading competition.
We were delighted when she took a break from training to chat to us.
When and how did you first get involved with cheerleading?
I started cheering about four years ago when I stayed in USA for 11 months through an exchange programme - Foreign Links Around the Globe (FLAG).
With a background in dance, I was keen to stay active during my time in Indiana, especially with sport being such a big part of American school life.
Before I arrived in USA, the ‘host’ family I stayed with helped arrange a virtual tryout at the school I attended. My ‘host’ sister was a cheerleader, so she introduced me to her cheer coach. I made the school’s Varsity team and cheered sideline for both football and basketball seasons.
When I joined QMU, I did a tryout for the Sapphires cheerleading squad and made the team. I’m now in my third year cheering with them. I currently captain the recreational team.
What do you enjoy most about cheerleading?
It’s so exciting when you hit a stunt for the first time. Some of the skills are complex and could be dangerous but we practice a lot.
So much of cheerleading is down to teamwork and trust; I think that’s what’s amazing. We all have our own roles but we must work together to achieve a safe successful performance.
How were you selected to become a member of Team Scotland?
Last summer, I submitted a virtual tryout video to the Team Scotland coaches and received an invitation to join the team in August. My video showed clips of my different skills from stunts, jumps and dance.
Tell us more about your role in Team Scotland?
I’m competing with Team Scotland Senior Adaptive Abilities Cheerleading.
Twenty-five percent of our team members are disabled athletes. It’s incredible being part of an inclusive team, with everyone (disabled and non-disabled athletes) coming together and competing in a sport we love.
I’m the ‘base’. I support the ‘flyers’ as they move into the air. It takes strength and stamina, while also combining elements of technique and performance.
How are you preparing for the World Championships?
Aside from training with Team Scotland in Glasgow, all athletes must be a member of another cheer team to ensure we have additional time to work on our skills.
I’m a member of the Sapphires competitive team and we train twice a week for two-hours. I also captain the Sapphires recreational team and we practice once a week for two hours.
As base, strength and stamina are very important to ensure I can fulfil all the stunting requirements of the routine so I do weights training too.
Preparing for the championships takes a lot of additional training outside of practice to ensure we are all at our best physically come competition day.
I’m incredibly grateful to our donors, whose kindness is helping me compete at an elite level in a sport I love.
What are your cheerleading goals for the future?
I’d love to coach my own team. I’ve achieved my level 1, 2 and 3 cheer coaching qualifications, and I’m currently undertaking level 2 and level 3 fitness qualifications.
What does sport at QMU mean to you?
I’ve made some of the best friendships within the Sapphires cheerleading team, and amongst the other sports teams at QMU.
Doing cheer alongside my studies makes life very busy. However, I love being a part of everything it brings - from weekly training sessions, to travelling up and down the country competing, and on the road supporting fellow QMU sports clubs.
There is a real sense of community amongst the QMU sports clubs and I’m glad to be part of it.
The Cheerleading World Championships is taking place on 26-29 April 2024.
You can cheer Rebecca and Team Scotland on by watching the competition on Olympic Channel, Flo Sports app or Varsity TV.
