Prowl: Why did you choose to be involved in cheer?
Martin: At first, I started cheering as a little kid just trying to make time go by. As the years went on, it started to be one of my favorite things ever. Having to combine a random group of kids, then becoming your family is great. All the memories you make, whether it’s failure or success, it’s amazing. Trusting each other to throw bodies in the air, and tumble across the mat; it’s a beautiful sport.
Prowl: What is your position in cheer, and do you like that position?
Martin: I am a base, and I love it. I like that my fliers can rely on me, and trust me to put their bodies in the air. It’s hard work don’t get me wrong, but learning new stunts and grips is so much fun, and when they hit it feels amazing to know that all your hard work has worked off, all the progress has paid off and all the sweat and tears have finally paid off.
Prowl: If you could switch your position what would you pick?
Martin: If I could switch my position, I would switch to being a flier, it seems like fun to be put up in the air and do flips and everything else that a flier does. I also feel like fliers get the most attention seeing that they’re the ones in the air so everyone can see them. I think it would be cool to get credit and attention for a stunt going up. I also have enough trust in my team to know that they fully have me and wouldn’t let me hit the mats.
Prowl: What inspires you to continue cheering?
Martin: What inspires me to continue playing cheer is the fact that I have just been doing it for so long, to the point that it’s become the most important thing in my life. It is my escape from reality when I am having a bad day or a bad week. It takes my mind off things. It’s my happy place.
Prowl: What has cheer taught you?
Martin: Cheerleading has taught me to never give up. You have to persist and keep pushing through everything. Cheerleading gets really hard at some points, but once you get a hang of it, it is really enjoyable. Even when things get hard, you have your whole team cheering you on, and you can rely on all of them.
Prowl: What is your favorite part of cheer and why?
Martin: Cheerleading in general is my favorite part. The community that we have, the trust, the commitment, the way I can go to cheer to escape reality. It’s a safe and reliable place for me, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Prowl: Do you see yourself cheerleading in the future?
Martin: Yes, 100 percent. I want to go to a college that has a good cheerleading team and program. It’s one of the most important things for me in choosing a college, if I’m being honest. After college, I hope to either go professional, or be a cheerleading coach and inspire younger children to cheer and feel the love for cheerleading as I felt when I was younger.
Prowl: Do you do competitive cheerleading and why?
Martin: I don’t do competitive cheerleading; I do sideline cheerleading. But we do have a competition at the end of the season. I do it because it’s fun. It’s enjoyable to see other teams, what they look like, and see their skills. It’s also a fun community at the competitions. We all talk, and dance, and play cheer games, and just bond.
Prowl: How has cheerleading made an impact on your daily life?
Martin: Cheer made a very big impact in my everyday life. Whenever I’m having a bad day, I know that I can go to cheer and distract my mind from everything else that’s going on, and I can focus on cheer.
Prowl: Do you have a goal in cheerleading, and if so what is it?
Martin: My goal for cheer is to continue cheer, and do it for as long as I can. Through the rest of high school, college, go professional, or become a cheer coach.
