One thing that people would find absolutely astonishing was the fact that I was a competitive gymnast, and then later on a cheerleader. My point of view....I could flip before I had to get hearing aids, why stop now?
I started off with dancing. Then one season of soccer (boooring!). My mother enrolled my little sister and I in gymnastics lessons. Then I went to a summer gymnastics camp. I went to every session. We were bitten by the flipping bug. We loved it. We would flip outside, inside, on the couch, on the playground. We would even wrestle. To me, doing a back handspring was as natural as walking. I loved it, I was good at it, and I felt like I was flying. By the time I was 11, and getting suited up for my hearing aids, I was a level-4, getting ready to move up to a level-5...once I got my approach on the bars, called a kip. This damned move is the bane of ever young gymnast's existence. But once you get it, you never forget how to do it! I believe my personal record for back handsprings was 20 in a row.
Anyway, at first I started by taking out my one aid at gymnastics. I was sweating, it was summer, there is a lot of chalk floating around a gym, and heaven forbid it flew out, and I could never find it again. By the next summer, I was going to do Pop Warner cheerleading. Our Pop Warner was the Wappinger Giants, and the Red Oaks 49ers. Side note...how cool is it that the NY Giants and SF 49ers are playing for a berth in the Superbowl? My 12 year old dreams have come true! So happy for both teams. We would go to the field, learn sideline cheers, and learn stunts. Since I could tumble, I was essentially "dicked out" of learning how to stunt. I was small and flexible, I should have been a flyer. The demonstrators never noticed me because I was quiet, which was fine.
Around this time, my hearing fell. I was newly starting 7th grade, and it was a traumatic experience. I worked through it by way of gymnastics, and trying to become an amazing cheerleader. I LOVED cheerleading. It was everything I wasn't...you had to be loud, outgoing, peppy, and stir up the crowd. At the competition at the end of that season, I threw the only (and my first) round-off handspring tuck. It was incredible, but of course we didn't win because that competition is always rigged. I believe my mother still has it on tape, including her shriek and jumping up and down. It was a great moment!
I had no idea Pop Warner had to end, so after that competition, I got into CYO cheering. I loved CYO! My demonstrators were a pair of sisters, and really sweet girls. They were on the high school squad, and were so much fun. I loved learning from them, and they taught me so much. I can't remember how my squad did that year, but it was a great learning experience. At this time, I was also in gymnastics, preparing for the state meets. I had to adjust my hearing aids every time I flipped, pivot turned, and did a leap. I did my first standing tuck at 13, which I taught myself. As a result of this distraction, I eventually fell out of love with gymnastics, and decided to cheer.
I turned to all-star cheerleading. Competition cheerleading on crack. All we did was stunt, tumble, and learn dances. It was so much fun. We didn't solely exist to cheer on a crowd that acted like we were stuck up, and rude. We were in it for ourselves, our squad and our company. I miss allstars so much somedays. I credit my first all-star coach with giving me the drive to be the best I could be. I didn't get distracted with my hearing loss because I was so busy. From 9th to 12th grade, I was pretty much on 2 squads at a time. I didn't have time to wallow, or have a hearing aid break.
It wasn't until my junior year that someone suggested taping them to my ears, which actually worked out really well.
One interesting story to note....at cheerleading camp you have the option to tryout for All-Star or All-American, depending on the company running the camp. I tried out for NCA All-American in 10th grade. I really wanted to get it. I practiced with the other girls, I could tumble, I knew the cheer. Cheerleading camp is so much fun. I couldn't wait. Until it was my turn, and my hearing aid bugged out, and I missed the cue. Of course the idiot running the sound didn't want to play the music again for me, and I ran off so embarrassed. Apparently, he got himself heckled by several members of our team, and I ended up making it. Unfortunately, I'll never know if I made it that year because of my skills, or out of pity.
Which brings up another point...do I have friends because of my sparkling good looks, and charming personality? Or is it because people feel bad for me? I always wonder.
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