Five girls from Morinville competed at the International Cheer Union competition in Orlando, Florida with Jr Canada CoEd and earned silver Apr. 20.
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by Stephen Dafoe
It was a silver medal finish in Orlando, Florida last week as the Jr. Canada Co-ed team took silver at the International Cheer Union Competition.
Kendall Weiss, Lilyah Richardson, Paige Howells, Katie Krukowski and Kennedi Knight (above left to right) were all part of the team and residents of Morinville.
Both Weiss and Knight have competed in the past, representing Jr Canada three times. On those outings, they have helped secure one gold and two silvers. Richardson has competed with the team twice, with one silver and one gold. For Howells and Krukowski, it was their first time competing with the team.
For newcomer Katie Krukowski, the opportunity to represent her country doing the sport she loves was a privilege.
“All of the hard work my teammates and coaches put in was worth it once we performed in Florida,” Krukowski said. “Meeting athletes from all around the world made the experience even better after not being able to travel for two years. It had been a dream of mine since I was little to be selected for junior team Canada! I am very thankful for this opportunity and hope that we made our hometown of Morinville and Canada proud.
Fellow first-time competitor Paige Howells said representing Canada and going to Worlds was a dream she’d had since she was a little kid.
“Finally getting to compete was surreal,” Howells said. “I’m so honoured to have been selected to be on this team. Winning a Silver medal while competing with the best in the world is something I will never forget!”
Like the others, two-time competitor Lilyah Richardson said representing the country is every athlete’s dream. “I’ve had the pleasure of wearing Canada on my chest twice in my cheer carer, and I’m so thankful,” Richardson said. “It is such an incredible opportunity I will always hold near and dear to my heart. I know my team and I will represent Canada with pride and make every Canadian proud.”
Veteran competitor Kendall Weiss was also pleased with the outcome. “Cheer is my everything being able to represent my country three times is something people can only dream of,” she said. “I am beyond grateful to have the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Morinville Online could not obtain a comment from competitor Kennedi Knight by our article deadline.
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