Cheerleading with Edith

Edith (front right) cheering with friends on Game Day!

I like cheerleading because it is fun to learn new cheers. When I go to cheer, it brings back good memories of other cheer and dance classes. I also like to cheer because I am able to meet new people.

Our cheer practice includes stretching so we do not get hurt or pull any muscles. Next, we work on both new cheers and old cheers, and then we work on stunts so they are solid. We also work on our dance so it is clean when we perform it for our fans at games. Finally, we do the entire dance and cheer together.

Games days are when we all put on our uniforms to perform at home sports games. Before we go out on the floor, we do a little chant. We also warm up before we perform for the fans at halftime during basketball and football games.

Here is our practice schedule to get us ready for game day:

1. Stretch and conditioning
   

   Cheer picture day with dog Tenor!

   1. Run three leaps around track
   2. Do arm, shoulder, and leg stretches until warm
2. Practice cheer or learn a new cheer
   1. Work on keeping motions tight
   2. Use signs in the cheer
3. Practice jumps
   1. T-jump drill
   2. Toe touch jump
   3. Star jump
4. Practice stunts (check out a video of my team working on our stunts here!)
   1. Thigh stands
   2. Thigh stand- liberty
   3. Preps
   4. Extended liberty
5. Review cheer routine and practice performing cheer routine
   1. Get ready for game day performance
6. Game Day performance
   1. Smile and have fun!

 

Whether you have been cheering for years or are just taking up this sport, I hope that these tips and my practice schedule can help you improve your skills! What is your favorite part of cheering?

Continuing with CrossFit

Wow, I can’t believe Nationals are only a few short days away; it has been an awesome year as the 2013 National Miss Amazing Miss Queen, and I hope everyone has a wonderful time at Nationals this year!

This week, I wanted to give everyone an update on my Crossfit training. It is going awesome, and I love it! I am doing things that I never thought I would ever be able to do in my entire life, which makes me so proud. I actually just signed up for my first  5k; I am doing it with my trainer on October 18th, and I am so excited! During the 5k, I will be walking 3.1 miles. I know I can do it with training, as I am already walking over a half-mile. Just last week, I just started leg pressing with 200 pound tire. Check it out below!

Need more Tiffany? Like her page on Facebook for more updates!

A Close-Up on Elizabeth V.

What activities do you enjoy most?

I enjoy archery, horseback riding, baseball, surfing, and being a member of Frontier Girls. I also like to do crafts, including fiber arts, such as spinning, weaving, and sewing.

What are your strengths?

I am very good at math and arguing!

What have been your challenges?

I had to deal with a teacher who was a bully; I eventually overcame her hurtful words. I also struggle with reading and communicating with people who don’t know me.

Of what accomplishments are you most proud? 

I am very proud to have been selected as the Million Misfit Sock March Ambassador based on my experiences with a teacher bully and to have been named the Arizona Equestrian Special Olympics Grand Champion twice. I am also proud that I earned the Fruit of the Spirit award, the Make a Difference award, two WOW awards, a Bright Idea award, and the Liberty award in Frontier Girls. Additionally, I represented my school in the regional science fair.

What are your ambitions? 

I hope to be selected to represent Team USA in Equestrian Sports in the  Special Olympics World Games and to raise awareness of and prevent bullying in our communities.

Thank you to Elizabeth’s loving mother, Suzanne, for helping to type these responses!

Nationals Tips from Queen Tiffany!

As promised, this week I will be giving some tips for those of you who are traveling to the National Miss Amazing Pageant in just about a week! (These tips definitely also apply to anyone interested in participating in pageants of any type!)

• Most importantly… BE YOURSELF! Don’t try to be somebody you’re not; the judges and audience want to meet the real you!

• Get to know people, and be social at Nationals! Make a point to get to know, or at least speak with, everyone, including your fellow contestants, your Buddy and other Buddies, and the judges!

Making friends at Nationals!

• If you are performing in the optional Talent Showcase, just do your best and show off your skills. As you are not judged on your talent, this is all for fun!

• When dressing for your interview, you certainly want to look nice, and I would suggest wearing a skirt, dress, or business suit, but, more importantly, you should use this outfit to show your personality. Wear something that makes you feel confident!

• At your interview, remember to make eye contact with the judges and show them your personality by being yourself. Nerves definitely get to everyone, but try not to let yourself become too nervous and keep your confidence high! Answer the questions as clearly as you can, and remember that the judges just want to learn more about what makes you amazing!

• During your walk with your escort and the Evening Wear portion of the pageant, smile, smile, smile! Strut your stuff, and make sure you’ve practiced your pageant wave! Stand or sit up straight with your shoulders held back, and look at the whole audience, rather than just looking straight down the center. Try to make eye contact with everyone!

Confidence and personality are key in Evening Wear!

Always remember to have fun at Nationals; I know I certainly did last year! Everyone at Miss Amazing is a winner already! Congratulations and best of luck to those of you participating; I know you will be amazing!

Need more Tiffany? Like her page on Facebook for more updates!

A Year in Reflection

With the 2014 National Pageant coming up, I would like to use this week to reflect on my year as the reigning Miss Amazing National Miss Queen. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend this year’s Nationals, but this past year has certainly been a wonderful whirlwind for me, and my title has allowed me to do and experience some pretty neat things! My top three highlights from my year as Queen are:

1. Actually winning the National title itself! Being crowned last year was such a special feeling, and I am so proud that I will always be the 2013 National Miss Queen! I plan to wear my tiara even after my reign comes to an end, because I will always have that title!

2. Seeing myself on the Today Show. They came in and filmed parts of the 2013 National Pageant and happened to capture my talent, martial arts, on film. I didn’t even realize that they had done so, so I was grinning from ear to ear when I saw myself on television breaking a board! That was definitely something to cross off my bucket list.

3. Planning my own news interview for Fox 2 St. Louis News. The station heard about my National title, and I Facebook messaged Margie Ellisor, one of the co-anchors, asking if she wouldn’t mind promoting my National Queen Facebook page and this blog. She did one better by inviting me to the studio for a live interview! Everything happened really quickly following this invitation, so I was very impressed with myself for figuring out what I wanted to say on my own!

Other highlights of my year include learning how to fundraise, which allowed me to go out into the community and get to know people. It was a perfect job for me as I am very social, and can  reach a wide variety of audiences through newspaper articles and speaking engagements at my college and at other schools. I hope to one day become a motivational speaker, at least part-time or just for fun, so these opportunities were perfect for practicing and refining my speaking skills.

My whole goal in life is to inspire others all over the world with whatever I am doing; I am so thankful to Miss Amazing for helping me to do so and look forward to continuing to inspire people even after my reign comes to a close.

Stay tuned for next week’s post, where I’ll offer a few Pro-Tips on the National Pageant itself for those of you attending this year! Worried about your interview or another aspect of the pageant? Let me help alleviate your nerves!

Need more Tiffany? Like her page on Facebook for more updates!

 

A Close-Up on Katie G.

Celebrating after the Miss Amazing Pageant!

What activities do you enjoy most?

I enjoy singing, dancing, and, now, participating in pageants!

What are your strengths?

I love talking to others and making new friends.

What have been your challenges?

I was nervous about getting through the interview portion of the Miss Amazing pageant, but it turned out not to be so bad!

Of what accomplishments are you most proud?

I am very proud of being a Miss Amazing participant.

What are your ambitions?

My goals are having a part-time job and having amazing friends.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

Everyone’s favorite mascot, Fredbird!

This is definitely another busy week! I am going to two St. Louis Cardinals baseball games, one today and one tomorrow. The Cardinals have a promotion going on this week where they are selling tickets for only $4, so my friend and I decided to go two days in a row. We even got good seats, so I hope I’ll get to see my favorite player, Yadier Molina! He has been my favorite player ever since Pujols left. I also can’t wait to see the new Ballpark Village, which is filled with a bunch of restaurants and shops. (All Cardinals themed, of course!) What’s your favorite part of being a member of Cardinal Nation?

On Friday, after all my baseball fun, I am going to the Crawford County Fair in Cuba, MO to see Jason Michael Carroll (again!) I am so stoked; he is definitely the best country artist ever! I am really hoping that I get the chance to talk with him again this weekend.

I also want to leave you with a brief update on last week’s post: CrossFit is going great; I am starting to lose weight and get stronger! It definitely takes a ton of commitment, but you can do it, too!

Need more Tiffany? Like her page on Facebook for more updates!

A Week of Soreness: Starting CrossFit!

Wow, am I sore this week! I started exercising with an awesome new personal trainer a couple of days ago, and she is helping me begin CrossFit Training, a new type of workout where you do several different, high-intensity exercises throughout one workout session. With CrossFit, I’m doing tons of things I’ve never done before. For example, I am currently working on a modified pull-up, where I use two rings to pull myself up rather than the bar that is typically used. We’re building up to a regular pull-up! I am also working on getting better at walking up the stairs. My quads and hamstrings are pretty weak right now, and I am also trying to lose some weight, so we’re really working on strengthening my whole body.

My trainer is also helping me start learning how to practice CrossFit in the pool. My balance is a lot better in the pool, and working out in the water puts much less tension and strain on my muscles, so this type of workout typically leaves me far less sore. In the pool, we work on walking up and down stairs, throw a weighted ball back and forth, and even try to run!

As far as I know, there are not a ton of disabled people who have taken up CrossFit yet, though I have seen some YouTube videos of other people with Cerebral Palsy using this type of training to exercise. It is definitely an intense workout, but, if I can do it, so can you! Once I get really good at CrossFit, my trainer and I are planning to make a YouTube exercise video for others to follow!

In addition to my new workout, I am also trying a new diet! Five days ago, I began the Paleo Diet, during which you eat a lot of protein and very few sugars or carbs. (Fortunately, I get one “cheat meal” each week, when I can eat whatever I want!) It seems to be working really well so far, and I plan to stick with it for as long as I can while I work towards becoming stronger and thinner.

Have you tried CrossFit yet? Feel free to share any tips that have worked for you!

Need more Tiffany? Like her page on Facebook for more updates!

A Week of Celebration and Conversation

My college graduation party was this Saturday! Family and friends joined me to celebrate, and close to fifty people showed up! The open house lasted from 2-7PM, so we had people in and out throughout the afternoon and evening. Some guests even traveled fairly far to help me celebrate my graduation. One of my friends from school showed up at the party; it was so nice that she made that long drive all the way from Edwardsville, IL! A cousin of mine from Kansas City, MO, and her family were also able to join the party. Those of you who know your Midwest-geography know that Kansas City is pretty far away from St. Louis (nearly four hours!), so I’m very glad they could come! The party itself was a barbecue, and a lot of the guests took advantage of our backyard pool and went swimming. It was so nice to see and chat with everyone, and I can’t wait to share some party pictures after I’ve gotten them developed!

The party was not all smooth sailing, however; about twenty minutes after it began, I got up to answer the door and fell, hitting my head on the wall and cracking it open in two places. Thank goodness my mom is a nurse and was able to dress my wounds. I didn’t need stiches, luckily, but it is definitely a little sore! Talk about dramatic! That incident certainly ended up being a topic of conversation throughout the night!

The day after my graduation party, a friend of mine who I haven’t seen in almost four years returned from a mission trip to China and ended up staying with me for two days before heading back to Truman State, her school. Fun fact: she told me you can get a Starbucks Mocha for only fifty cents in China, so make sure to check that out if you’re ever visiting! While my friend was here, we finally got to a chance to just hang out and catch up. I had really missed our wonderful conversations! We also saw Maleficent, the new Angelina Jolie film. I loved the twist ending. (I won’t spoil the surprise for those of you who are still going to see it!) I’m so glad I got the chance to catch up with friends and family over these past couple of very interesting days!

Need more Tiffany? Like her page on Facebook for more updates!

 

A Close-Up on Andrea W.

What activities do you enjoy most?

I like bowling, playing basketball, and listening to music; I also love to fish, sing in the church choir, and go for bike rides. Volunteering with the elderly is very fun, as well.

What makes you smile?

Animals, especially cats and dogs, and spending time with my family and friends can always make me smile.

What have been your challenges?

Math, learning to tell time, and learning to ride the city bus have all been challenges for me.

What have been your successes?

My successes include being a leader at school and learning to have more confidence without being shy. I love being able to make people feel happy.

What would you like to share with others?

You can do anything; even if it is hard, just keep trying.