Two teams from the Quebec region will participate in the Pan American Cheerleading Championships, which will be held in Chile in September.

Team Rouge et Or from Université Laval and a team from Académie Saint-Louis have been chosen by Cheer Canada to represent the country in this competition.

“It’s one of the most popular schools because the next step after that is the Olympics,” explains Cedric Langevin, head of the cheerleading team at Université Laval.

It is a dream come true for young athletes.

“It’s the experience of a lifetime! “Nothing like this happens to everyone,” says Laurie Odette, of the youth team 4 at St. Louis Academy.

University Laval player Maya Kantin still struggles to realize what’s happening to her: “We didn’t really believe it because it was so far-fetched. But with the selections we said, it could be real! But I was really surprised.”

These are the first two Quebec teams to qualify for this important tournament.

“It will give a good view of the program and the encouragement in general,” said Anthony Bilodo of the Université Laval team.

This is a remarkable achievement because it comes after two years of training disrupted by the pandemic.

“It’s definitely still physically difficult to get back into shape after a two-year hiatus,” admits Laurie Audet, who has been very keen to reconnect with her sport.

The Pan American Cheerleading Championships will be held in Santiago, Chile, from September 28 to October 2.