0:00:02 > 0:00:04Three teams. They all want to win
0:00:04 > 0:00:07but only the team that can throw highest,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09flip fastest and pull off jaw-dropping stunts
0:00:09 > 0:00:12will take home the prize.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15First place goes to...
0:00:15 > 0:00:17They'll have to be totally fearless,
0:00:17 > 0:00:21because the journey ahead could make or break them.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Forget pom-poms - this is the world of cheerleading.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53With only weeks until the competition season starts,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56the teams need to up their game if they want to walk away
0:00:56 > 0:00:58with that trophy.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Coming up...
0:01:03 > 0:01:06It all gets too much for Unity's team captain.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14A key Ascension Eagle gets grounded.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16I don't know what to say, Shola.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21And two rising stars battle for the top position.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24It's like a challenge between Emily and Sophie.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26We don't know how Carly's going to call it.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Erm...
0:01:36 > 0:01:40The first competitions of the season are coming up fast
0:01:40 > 0:01:44but Unity Allstars team-mate Becky has been out of action
0:01:44 > 0:01:46since she broke her ankle in training.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51When Becky hurt herself, it was really devastating for the team
0:01:51 > 0:01:53because everybody has their place on the team,
0:01:53 > 0:01:58like, if someone is out, it affects everybody.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Becky's missed a crucial six weeks of training
0:02:02 > 0:02:05but today she's got big news for head coach Tori.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07The doctor said last time I went that he thought
0:02:07 > 0:02:11I would get my cast off the next time that I would be going,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13so that's tomorrow.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16- So hopefully, some good news tomorrow, and then...- Yeah.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- ..in the next couple of weeks we can start to ease you back in.- Yeah.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23- Good luck tomorrow.- Thank you. - And let us know what they say.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25- Yeah, I will. Thank you.- See you later.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28If her plaster comes off, Becky will be back with her
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Unity team-mates, but she'll have to work hard to earn her place
0:02:32 > 0:02:33back on the team.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36I feel like I need to catch up on quite a lot,
0:02:36 > 0:02:41which is what I'm very scared about when I do get back into training,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43and I just feel, like, completely out of it.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44OK, guys.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47She watches on as Unity start part of the routine
0:02:47 > 0:02:51that's built on trust - because it's built on each other.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55So tonight we are going to be doing pyramid.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Pyramid is the part of the routine where all of the stunts connect
0:02:59 > 0:03:02to build a giant pyramid.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04You would be judged on how you get into the pyramid,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06what you do within the pyramid
0:03:06 > 0:03:07and how you get out of it.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Pyramids are the toughest part of the cheer routine to crack.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16When done right, they look spectacular.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18It's the whole team together.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20And when everyone's up there in the air at the same time,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23it's incredible.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26But when things go wrong, it all falls to pieces.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29In the pyramid, you have to work as a team with your group,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31because if one of you doesn't do your job
0:03:31 > 0:03:33then your whole group falls.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36It's basically like the most important part of the routine.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Everyone needs to listen to what is going on.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41We feel confident that you guys should be able to handle this,
0:03:41 > 0:03:42no problem.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45So - lots of good focusing.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Ajay, come here. I reckon he'll be fine.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Everyone needs to find their position.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57Dip, catch her bottom. You have to touch her.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58Ha-ha! Boys.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00And then the team starts work on building
0:04:00 > 0:04:03a championship-winning pyramid.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Let's try that and see how it goes.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Two, three, four, five, six, dip, seven...
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Cheerleading is tough, but for 12-year-old flyer Megan
0:04:13 > 0:04:16it's a chance to break free from everyday life.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23It feels really fun to be thrown up in the air.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26People throw you so high that you don't feel like you're ever
0:04:26 > 0:04:28going to come down.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33It's probably just one of the best feelings that you could ever have.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Megan is a brilliant athlete, a great tumbler.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40She has a very, very bright and very promising future
0:04:40 > 0:04:42and she could go so far.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Cheer has been more than just a chance to fly.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50It's been a support through difficult times.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Cheerleading does help me take my mind off what's happened at home,
0:04:54 > 0:04:59because I lost my dad from cancer at a young age.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02When she's having, like, a really low time and she's really
0:05:02 > 0:05:06missing her dad, we all take her under our wings a little bit.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10If she wants to talk to anyone, she knows she can talk to us about it.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14It does sometimes make you feel quite sad, when I can't
0:05:14 > 0:05:20share my cheerleading experiences with my dad, because he never really
0:05:20 > 0:05:25came to a competition, so he didn't really know what I was capable of.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26When I go to competitions,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30I do take a special necklace that belonged to my dad.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32That was his lucky necklace.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36When I compete, it makes me feel like he's there with me.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42Normally, I do a lot of work with my mum and helping around the house
0:05:42 > 0:05:46and what a normal teenager would do, because she is a single parent.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50I'm willing to do that because my mum comes first.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Well done. Thank you, Megan.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56To me, she is the most important thing that's on the planet.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58The strength and determination
0:05:58 > 0:06:02that I see from Megan, I'm very, very proud.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07She's become such a lovely young lady.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10She is so talented and she's beautiful.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14I think her dad would be very proud of her, definitely.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Three, use your legs. Six, seven, eight.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Back in training, Megan and her fellow flyers
0:06:19 > 0:06:22have made a great start to this season's pyramid.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26That'll do. We'll move on. Guys, we're going to try something else.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30So coach Tori decides to push the team to take on the hop through.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32If you did the same as everyone else,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34then nothing's setting you apart, so we're trying to push
0:06:34 > 0:06:37the boundaries of what they're allowed to do within our level.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39It's a daring move where a flyer jumps through
0:06:39 > 0:06:41the arms of their team-mate.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44It is quite a tricky manoeuvre, because if you let go
0:06:44 > 0:06:46people can hurt theirselves.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50You heard Megan - it's dangerous, so DON'T try this at home.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56Two, three, foot. Five, dip, seven, eight. One, two, three.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59You have to force yourself through the hole.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01You need to lift your hips. OK? Up - through.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02Again. Two, three.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06For this movement to work, the flyer needs to take a leap of faith.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09But do they trust their team-mates enough?
0:07:09 > 0:07:13It's a bit scary. You go to a place when no-one is there to catch you.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Seven, one.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17The first part of the pyramid's going really well,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20- but this part, not so much. - Hopefully, we'll get it soon.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23It's getting a bit worrying.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Five, dip, seven. One, two, three.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28That's your fault on the reload.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32But they just can't nail it, and, after an hour of trying
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and failing, Tori takes drastic action.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39I'm worried about the hop through at the very end of the routine.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44I feel like we need to change that whole section. Guys, listen.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48We're not sure about this section. We're going to make some changes.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Daniela, come here.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53With competition season only weeks away,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55the team need to avoid more injuries,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57so Tori makes the pyramid easier.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58She could be slightly angled,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01so they're almost back-to-back, like almost like that.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04This is the time to make the changes now, rather than just leave it
0:08:04 > 0:08:07and then just before the comp, say, actually, we don't like it.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09And then you go up...
0:08:09 > 0:08:13And then you go up, round, legs around, onto your tummy.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15It might not work but we hope it will.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Fingers crossed, we'll see what happens.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23Two, three, four, five, dip, seven, eight, through. One, two, three.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30- Again!- The team pick it up quickly
0:08:30 > 0:08:34but simpler moves could mean fewer competition-winning points.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Come down. Ready! One, three...
0:08:40 > 0:08:42With the pyramid built,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Unity now start to shape the rest of their routine.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Seven! One, three.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52Everyone's being pushed to the limit, including team captain Lily.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- Did you hold her hand?- Yes.- OK.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Don't then blame her because you did your job wrong. That's not cool.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00Five, seven.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03I feel like I have to set a really good example for my team,
0:09:03 > 0:09:08because they look up to me because I'm the captain.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Make sure you don't just let go of Olivia when she does that front foot.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13You need to stay connected until she hits that cradle.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16OK, guys. Let's go running tumbling.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21And as the team tackle the tumble section, Lily struggles to keep up.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27You lot - remember what I said about finishing the landing. Let's do this.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Seven, eight, and one, two, hands three, hands five,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33seven, eight, one... Oh, dear!
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Lily, and why didn't you do your tuck?
0:09:35 > 0:09:40An old knee injury from last season stops Lily in her tracks.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Guys, doing the round of tucks, Lily - where was yours?
0:09:43 > 0:09:44Lily, have you done one yet?
0:09:46 > 0:09:49And suddenly the strain starts to show.
0:09:49 > 0:09:50What's wrong?
0:09:55 > 0:09:56What's wrong?
0:10:01 > 0:10:03But you love cheerleading.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06So what is it that you're not enjoying?
0:10:06 > 0:10:08My back handspring.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12But you are so many other things apart from tumbling.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15The intense training's taking its toll on the 15-year-old.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19- So much pressure.- What pressure?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24The pressure from where? Pressure from who?
0:10:24 > 0:10:28Mostly school.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30I have to stay after school for most of the week,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32like catching up on classes.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Lily's got a lot on. She's in her final years at school,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37so she's got all that pressure of exams.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39She is the captain of the team,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42so there's a lot of pressure on Lily to perform.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Your attitude needs to be strong but that's the person you are.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46That's why we made you captain.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49I really struggle with juggling my schoolwork with cheer and I'm
0:10:49 > 0:10:53coming up to my GCSEs, so there's a lot of work and a lot of pressure.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57But obviously, education comes first.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58OK?
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Lily tonight was questioning whether she was still enjoying it.
0:11:03 > 0:11:04It's our job to sort of
0:11:04 > 0:11:08remind them why they love it still and help them see the positives
0:11:08 > 0:11:11and see their strengths, so we'll keep an eye on her over the next
0:11:11 > 0:11:13couple of weeks and make sure that she still loves it,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16because without Lily we'd be in real, real trouble.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19With their team captain struggling, and routine needing work,
0:11:19 > 0:11:24are Unity leaving the door open for their rivals to steal their crown?
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Balancing life and cheerleading can be tough,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35but for these athletes life is cheer.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38Cheer means everything to me.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41It's always been, like, a part of my life.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44I basically, like, eat, sleep, breathe cheer.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46It makes me feel like I'm special.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49It makes me feel like I could achieve the impossible.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53I can never imagine giving up cheer. I'd be so sad if I had to.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55If someone told me that I had to give up cheer,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58I'd just be like, "No!"
0:11:58 > 0:12:01I would never give up cheerleading cos it's just too fun.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I'm never giving cheerleading up, ever!
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Over in East London, the Ascension Eagles make sure
0:12:14 > 0:12:19that cheerleaders like Zac have a way of mixing school with cheer.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22This is the homework table and us are just doing our homework
0:12:22 > 0:12:26and a bit of, like, our revision and stuff like that for school.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28We're able to do our homework
0:12:28 > 0:12:30and still be able to do our cheerleading practice.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34It's easier, because I don't have to be juggling around all the time,
0:12:34 > 0:12:39like, trying to find space for cheer and, like, my social life.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41The Eagles have the smallest team
0:12:41 > 0:12:44so they need everyone at every training session.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49But even with the homework table they still don't have a full team.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51At the moment, we are missing Shola.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54If kids aren't in on time and we've already started the dance,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57then they'll be at the back and some of them will be
0:12:57 > 0:13:00a bit upset by that, because there'll be kids that want to be at the front,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02but - turn up on time.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04The big competition is just weeks away
0:13:04 > 0:13:09and the Eagles are starting work on the dance section of their routine.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12We all know - Shh! - how long it takes to learn a dance
0:13:12 > 0:13:16so I'm going to do my best to teach you as quickly as possible.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Let's try it together. All right.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28This is my kind of thing. I like this kind of dance.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32The dance section is when cheerleaders can have fun
0:13:32 > 0:13:36but it only works when the whole team is in perfect time.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...
0:13:40 > 0:13:43One cheerleader keen to bring his moves is Harry,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46one of only two boys in the Ascension Eagles.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48All right, practise that.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50My name is Harry and I'm 14 years old.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I'm not really like a typical cheerleader
0:13:57 > 0:14:01because I don't like being the centre of attention or
0:14:01 > 0:14:04nothing like that, but when I'm with a crowd, I'm all right.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Yeah, Harry does seem like an unlikely cheer boy
0:14:06 > 0:14:11but when he does start to cheer, he really sells it.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15- He's quite a typical boy. - He likes his sport.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Cheering and, like, rugby are, like, kind of the same
0:14:17 > 0:14:21cos in rugby, like, you need to be strong to take someone down.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24In cheer, like, you need to be strong, knowing that you can
0:14:24 > 0:14:27lift people up and you can catch them, and flyers can trust you.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34In the past, not everyone has been supportive of Harry's cheerleading.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37When he first started, he was scared,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40because he didn't know whether people would support him.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Some boys from our school were actually, like, teasing me.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47But it all changed once Harry learnt some top tumbles.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50All of a sudden, he started doing back flips
0:14:50 > 0:14:52and front flips out of nowhere.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55It changed their perspective, like, of cheer.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58It's gained me, like, more respect.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00When I'm doing the cheer,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03I don't really care what people think about me.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06I'm doing something that I like, I'm helping a team at winning.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12I'm proud to be a part of that team.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15All right. Let's go from the beginning one more time.
0:15:15 > 0:15:16We've got to move on.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20The dance section is where the judges look for hard, clean moves
0:15:20 > 0:15:25and this season Harry's got a major part to play for the Eagles.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27One, two, three.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30In the dance, I'm like the new Justin Timberlake.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33I keep it down low because I don't want to embarrass everyone else.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36I don't want to show off too much.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Harry, that was it.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44I'm the new Justin Timberlake, like, times two.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I'm, like, Harry Timberlake.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50- Yeah.- All right, guys. Come in and sit down, please.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52We're going to go over what we're going to do.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54We're going to walk through with counts,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58all the way through to the beginning of the pyramid.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Hopefully by then the people that we're missing will be here.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Go to the opening and be still and quiet.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Because the Eagles team is smaller in numbers than their rivals,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11their moves need to be bigger,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14if they're to pull off the perfect pyramid and take the title.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16We're doing the cartwheel. We'll drop in on one,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18cartwheeling out straightaway.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21So, from here, she's going...that way.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Angela has choreographed a very hard pyramid this season,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28so we're going to have to work really, really hard to get it right.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Does everybody understand what they're responsible for
0:16:31 > 0:16:33- in the cartwheel?- Yeah.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36If anyone falls on their head, then we will be in big trouble.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41If we hit the pyramid, I think that we're going to come first
0:16:41 > 0:16:44because it's a really difficult pyramid to do.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Make sure you know what you're doing. Here we go. Ready?
0:16:47 > 0:16:50One slip, the whole pyramid will fall down like dominoes.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58One, two, three, four, five.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00All right. Listen.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03You guys have to drop the feet before she can cartwheel out.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06You just wandered out and her legs disappeared from underneath her,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08so let's try again. Here we go. Ready?
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five...
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Even in a gym, these moves are tough.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17But coach Angela has no choice but to push on.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18Three, four, five.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19Kind of.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23All of the teams we'll be competing against will be at a similar level.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26We've got to do something that will make us stand out
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and hopefully this will be the thing. If they hit it.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Here we go! Ready?
0:17:31 > 0:17:32One, two...
0:17:32 > 0:17:34And, with moves as tricky as the cartwheel,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37the team start to worry for their own safety.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39All right. Come here. Come here.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43I can see you're scared of it, but you've got to squeeze tight,
0:17:43 > 0:17:44then nothing will go wrong.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Coach Angela has told us that the other teams are going to be working
0:17:47 > 0:17:51really hard to beat us this year and we need to up our game
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and really fly high.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55Again.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Guys, come on.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00The Eagles are struggling
0:18:00 > 0:18:04and, to make things worse, Shola turns up with a shocking surprise.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12I slipped on a scarf. I was running and I slipped on a scarf.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- Whose scarf was it?- Mine.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18She's broken her knee.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21This could mean the end of the Eagles' championship chances.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Shola is a real all-rounder,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28so she can base, she can dance, she can tumble.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30She's one of our highest-level athletes.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32I don't know what to say, Shola.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Shola's one of the best cheerleaders on the team.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37If Shola doesn't make it to the competition,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40it's going to be disastrous for us.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43The championship's only weeks away
0:18:43 > 0:18:46and the Eagles can't afford to lose her.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Of all people as well, Shola.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51I'm really upset, but I'm just hoping that
0:18:51 > 0:18:53she'll be fine for competition.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Because we do have such a small team, we don't have a replacement
0:18:56 > 0:19:02for Shola, so we really need her to get better as quickly as possible.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Without her, we may not be able to compete at all.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13In Manchester, northern champs The Rising Stars are also
0:19:13 > 0:19:16training hard for the competition season...
0:19:16 > 0:19:18One, two, three...
0:19:18 > 0:19:19..and, just like Unity
0:19:19 > 0:19:23and The Ascension Eagles, they have their eyes fixed on the prize.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Nice and strong arms.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28But, as well as the fight for the championship,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32flyer Emily has her own battle with her health.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35I have cystic fibrosis, which is a lung disease,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38so today we're going to the hospital
0:19:38 > 0:19:40so I can start my antibiotics.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43I'll get a needle in my side for two weeks.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Emily's parents take her for treatment every three months
0:19:48 > 0:19:52and team-mate Jess is always there to support her best friend.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54I go with her when she starts her IVs
0:19:54 > 0:19:57because it just makes her feel a bit happier, she's not on her own.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00It definitely helps having Jess here.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03She keeps me company and things so I don't get bored.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Emily is my best friend.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08She's always there for me, so it's good.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Emily's cystic fibrosis can get worse during winter,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14but winter is competition season.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17An infection now could rule her out of the champs.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18So, this is the antibiotic now.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23Help to kill any bugs that are lurking in Emily's chest.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26All of the nurses and doctors, they all know I do cheerleading
0:20:26 > 0:20:29and they all think it's really good.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31It's important when you've got CF to do physio
0:20:31 > 0:20:34and an important part of physio is getting exercise.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38So, Emily doing all this cheer means she's getting a lot of exercise,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41which helps to clear all the bugs and rubbish out of the chest.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45She doesn't do it just because of that. She absolutely loves it.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48- She keeps this in now, don't you? - Yeah, for two weeks.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50It can be uncomfortable sometimes,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54but I just get on with it and I'm used to it now.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Emily's medicine has been working for two weeks
0:20:59 > 0:21:00and so have her team-mates.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Now she joins the other Rising Stars
0:21:02 > 0:21:05and gets back to their routine.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07With just a few weeks until all three teams
0:21:07 > 0:21:09go head-to-head in battle,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13the pressure's building for the team and head coach Carly.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16So, today, we are going to learn your pyramid.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18We're going to try and put it all together today.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Are we all ready to work hard? Yeah? Right. Let's go then, guys.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Ready? Six, seven, eight.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26One, two, three, four,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28five, six, seven, eight.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Rising Stars need to master their pyramid.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36They know more than anyone what can happen when things go wrong.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38At our biggest competition last season,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41the routine was going really well.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44We went to do the pyramid and at first it was all hitting
0:21:44 > 0:21:49and then, all of a sudden, the pyramid just, like, crumbled.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Because we're all connected, as one flyer fell,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54it pulled all the other flyers down.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57The pyramid did fall and it was really, really upsetting.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Ready?
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Six, seven, eight...
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Not put off by last season's cheerleading catastrophe,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09coach Carly's making a bold move.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12This year, I've given them a challenge,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14I've given them a hard pyramid...
0:22:14 > 0:22:17which I'm hoping that they'll perform it
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and it'll be one of our best features of the routine,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22IF they hit it.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25To pull off this complicated pyramid,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27everyone needs to pull together,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31from flyers like Emily to bases like Freya.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35My name's Freya and I'm a Rising Stars cheerleader.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42All I really do is eat, sleep and cheer.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46I do like to win. I'm very competitive.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49- I think I will win. - No, I will win.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51I'm competitive, like, especially in cheer
0:22:51 > 0:22:54but I'm also competitive out of cheer.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Right, watch out, Niamh.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59I've made a lot of friends at Rising Stars.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01How are you meant to get it in there?!
0:23:01 > 0:23:04'The friendships I've got at cheer are really special.'
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Oh, Sophie got three.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08You trust your life in someone else's hands,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and they trust you with their life,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13and I think that's really important
0:23:13 > 0:23:14because, I mean, it's life.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I was quite a shy person before I did cheer.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23I've been teased in the past about the colour of my hair.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27When I go to cheer, I feel really good about myself.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30I can be the confident person, I can be the funny person,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33I can be whoever I want.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Cheer's such a lovely sport. So, I'm hoping, with Freya,
0:23:36 > 0:23:41that we can make her feel like she can conquer the world.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Doing a sport like cheerleading, I think it's changed my life a lot
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and I think it's changed the person who I am.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57The Rising Stars pyramid is looking good
0:23:57 > 0:24:00but if Freya and her fellow cheer champs want to become
0:24:00 > 0:24:02the best in the country
0:24:02 > 0:24:05they need to have their strongest flyer in the main spot.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09At this moment in time, we have Emily and Sophie that are both
0:24:09 > 0:24:11learning the same part in the pyramid,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15and we need to pick one of them to do that part for the whole season.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19'Me and Emily are fighting for a position.'
0:24:19 > 0:24:21I really want it.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Pyramid positions, guys. Emily, can you go in?
0:24:24 > 0:24:28First up to try out for this crucial role in the pyramid is Emily.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31I really want to be picked for the main part in the pyramid
0:24:31 > 0:24:34because it's the bit where you get to perform a lot.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Ready? Five, six, seven, eight.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Try not to leave go. Go again.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46It's a demanding position that takes skill and technique.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50I'm really enjoying it. I'm not hitting every move
0:24:50 > 0:24:53but I can work on it and I won't give up.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56One, two, three, four... Whoops! Just need a little bit more height.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Your full around's beautiful, Em. Really nice.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Right, Emily, one more time. Let's have a look.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05One, two... Dip! ..three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08One, two, three, four... That was better. A bit better.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Don't lean on Sophie, as well, Em. OK? Let's switch over.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Emily has done her best,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17but is it enough to show Carly that she's the right flyer for the job?
0:25:17 > 0:25:20We're just going to switch Emily and Sophie over
0:25:20 > 0:25:23so we'll see how both of them work in this position.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Ready?
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Now it's Sophie's turn.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Emily and Sophie are both really, really good flyers.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33I don't know how Carly's going to make the decision
0:25:33 > 0:25:36because they both are really, really talented.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four... Whoops!
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Wait for it, Sophie.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43You're going too early.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44You've got to go up. OK?
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Go again.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Come on, guys, get it up.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57They're both really good.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59They've been practising so hard.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01It's not a fight but it's, like, a challenge.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Cradle one, two.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Do one more with Sophie.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12One, two, three, four.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15That is how it's done. Good. OK.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Emily and Sophie have done all they can.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Now it's time for Carly to decide
0:26:21 > 0:26:23who gets the main role in the pyramid.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26It's definitely going to be a hard decision to make.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28They're both really, really good flyers.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Emily is a really good performer.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Sophie is a gymnast,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35so she knows how to hold her body.
0:26:35 > 0:26:36Um...
0:26:36 > 0:26:38It's a tough decision,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42but one that could be the difference between winning and losing.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46Emily and Sophie have both been working really hard for this spot
0:26:46 > 0:26:49so I really don't know how Carly's going to call it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Sophie, you're hitting more consistently than Emily,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56so I want, Emily, you to do the outside for now.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Sophie has won the main flyer position in the pyramid.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03It was a difficult decision,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05but Sophie did come out a little bit stronger today
0:27:05 > 0:27:08than what Emily did, so that's why we chose Sophie.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11I'm feeling very happy that I got picked.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13And I think that I need to carry on working as hard
0:27:13 > 0:27:16to stay in the place.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20I'm a little bit upset but that's part of cheerleading.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23We all have to fight for different spots and everything,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25so it's all good.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29At least she's my friend, so I'm happy for her.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- Bye, Soph. Well done.- Thanks.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Emily may have lost out this time,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36but she still has a vital role to play if the Rising Stars
0:27:36 > 0:27:40are going to be in with a chance at the Cheer Championship.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Next time - the competition season starts for our three teams...
0:27:50 > 0:27:54- ..but injury strikes Team Unity... - Ohhh!
0:27:54 > 0:27:56..Ascension Eagles' Zac takes the lead...
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Come on, everyone, we can do this!
0:27:58 > 0:28:02..and the Rising Stars are out of time.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04That's it. Done. Let's go.