Name: Hannah Cunningham

Grade: 10

Sport: Competitive Cheer

5 fun facts about Hannah

• She lived in Germany for five years
• She loves tea
• She has three siblings
• She has the cutest cat named Maisy
• She loves to travel

How long have you been cheering for?

“I have been cheering for five years, and I am a backspot on the team.”

Why do you cheer?

“I cheer because it is really fun. It is a big commitment, but it pushes me really hard and you are always learning new things. Cheer makes me happy, and I love being on a team where everybody is close and you make great friends.”

What has been your biggest inspiration in your competitive cheer career?

“What motivates me in cheer is that I know it is huge and takes up a lot of time. It makes me push myself, and it makes me keep working harder and getting stronger mentally and physically.”

What inspired you to join competitive cheer?

“I heard about it in middle school and it sounded really fun, so my friends and I decided to try out. We have been in competitive cheer ever since.”

What is your favorite cheer memory?

“My favorite cheer memory is going to cheer camp at Ferris State and staying there for two whole days; we were just working all day long, then at night [we had] to put our feet up because they hurt so bad at the end of the day.”

What is your favorite round in competitive cheer? 

“My favorite round is round one because almost the whole team is in it, there are different parts that all go together, and [it] looks really cool. We mostly get to make it up ourselves and it is really fun to learn.”

What three characteristics do you feel are most important for cheerleaders to possess? 

“I think cheerleaders need commitment, strength, and an open mind. [We need] commitment to be there at practice every day because nobody can miss because [if you do] it affects the whole team. [We need] strength because everybody should always work their hardest and always do the best they can do. [We need] an open mind because things are always changing in cheer and you should be open to changing positions or trying something new.”

What do you think are the team’s best qualities? 

‘The team’s best qualities are our teamwork and the positivity that everybody gives each other.”

Talk a little about your time being a part of FHC competitive cheer, this year and previous years.

“Cheer has been a big part of my life. It taught me how to be strong, work through things, and know that I can always do better. I met the most amazing people and I love going to cheer every day to see my friends and work hard. Cheer has always been so great and I hope to continue to do cheer for the rest of my high school days.”