Angelique ‘Angie’ Hussey, a Grade 10 learner at Belvedere School, is a vibrant young girl who exudes confidence and is a real high-flyer.
This makes her the ideal person to lead her school’s cheerleading team as the head cheerleader.
The 15-year-old Alphen Park resident recently achieved a big goal when she earned her Protea national colours for cheerleading when she represented both the South African Co-Ed Senior and the South African Junior Co-Ed teams at the 2019 World Cheerleading Championships held at Disney Land in Orlando, Florida in the USA where 70 countries participated across the various categories.
Hussey also captained the Junior Co-Ed team at the championships, the first ever junior South African team to compete at the world champs.
Her junior team didn’t let their nation down, placing sixth overall in their category while the senior team placed fifth overall in their category.
“It was really amazing to go over to the USA,” said the bubbly teenager.
“It was great to meet other people from all over the world and to hear and learn so many different languages.
“We stayed on the sports resort and had to take a bus every day to the ESPN Centre which was awesome.
“When we got onto the practise floor it was really nerve-racking as the floor was really hard.
“One day I hurt my ankle, but I just carried on.
“During competition time it felt like home though.
“All these people were screaming for us, which was really amazing.”
Hussey has been cheerleading for four years now at the school and credits her coach Vivienne Botha for guiding her to national colours.
“People don’t really know the sport and think it’s just those girls next to the rugby field with the pom-poms, but there’s so much more to it,” said Botha.
“I always describe it as acro-gymnastics in the air.”
The sport is officially recognised by SASCOC and has been recognised as a provisional sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Hussey will hope to fly the flag at the Olympics and has earmarked representing South Africa at the showpiece global sporting event as her ultimate goal.
She also hopes to help her teammates from Belvedere gain selection for national teams.
“Sometimes we get upset with each other when we don’t get a routine right, but we always work it out in the end,” said Hussey.
Belvedere School takes their cheerleading extremely seriously, evident by the fact that they even brought in a mat from the Bring It On: Worldwide Cheersmack movie from the USA.
Participation in the sport at the school is not restricted to just Belvedere learners and any interested school-going person is welcome to join them.
For more information, contact Botha on 071 603 6086.
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