AHEAD of CHEER 2015, we brought a group of celebrities to surprise six cheerleading teams at their schools, where they found out more about the sport, and offered their support as the teams’ ambassadors.
On Saturday, the celebrities finally got to experience just what the teams had worked so hard for – the CHEER 2015 Finals.
CHEER Celebrity Supporters Reuben Kang, Marianne Tan, Jared Lee, Dennis Yin and Jeremy Teo were all at the finals to support their teams, and they were amazed by the performances!
Yin, who was supporting Calyx All-Girls from SMJK Katholik, was beaming with pride.
In the spirit of CHEER, Yin came clad in the Calyx’s supporter t-shirt. — Photo: LOW LAY PHON/The Star
“I’m very proud of the team. They took the pointers I gave when I visited them and brought their routine to another level,” said the celebrity dancer, who used to be a cheerleader.
“The teams are so much better now with more coaches going around. The scene is growing and we want to see all of them improving every year.”
Lee, Kang and Tan were the Celebrity Supporters for the Dynamitez from SMK Damansara Jaya; and Lee, who was attending CHEER for the first time, said the teams’ performances gave him goosebumps.
“Attending CHEER 2015 has inspired me in a so many ways, whether it’s to do a video or just to work hard at whatever I do,” said Lee, who is the main man behind the popular YouTube channel Grim Film.
He said he was thinking of making a video with/about cheerleaders while watching the performances.
Another thing that wowed the trio was the amazing support system the cheerleaders have in the form of their friends, families and schoolmates.
Kang, who’s one half of the JinnyBoyTV duo, was blown away by the energy of the Dynamitez supporters, who went on to win the U Mobile Best Supporter Award.
YouTuber Lee (left) said the performances at CHEER 2015 gave him goosebumps, and he’s now considering making a video on cheerleading! — Photo: SAM THAM/The Star
Tan was overwhelmed by the parents’ support. “I was really close to tears when Dennis told me about the Calyx captain whose mother passed away last year. So when you see all the parents here, you feel an extra sense of appreciation towards them,” said Tan.
Lee added: “I have a huge respect for the parents who support what their kids want to do because it’s something that’s very hard to come by these days. I respect the parents, but at the same time, I’m envious of the cheerleaders!”
Teo, who was also the CHEER host alongside fellow Red FM deejay Terry Ong, had the opportunity to hang out with his team, Anselm of SMK Infant Jesus Convent, when he surprised them at their school in Malacca.
“It’s not easy to juggle between wanting to excel in a sport, coping with academic requirements and meeting the demands of your family. A lot of sacrifice is required but their hard work paid off because they did excellent,” he said. Anselm finished a very respectable fourth in their category.
Team Anselm giving Teo a Starbucks hamper to thank him for being their CHEER Celebrity Supporter. — Photo: LOW LAY PHON/The Star
The teams were keen to show their Celebrity Supporters their appreciation as well, giving them Starbucks hampers and customised team T-shirts after their performances. Yin, however, was made to work for it as the crowd screamed for him to perform some tumbling, and he obliged in spectacular fashion.
Other celebrity supporters – JJ Fernandez, Ezra Mei, Joseph Germani and Prakash Daniel – couldn’t make it to the finals due to other commitments.
But that didn’t stop JJ from congratulating his team, the Cyrens, with a moving video message on Instagram after they won the All-Girls category.
Red FM deejay JJ couldn’t make it to the CHEER 2015 Finals but he kept himself updated through R.AGE’s social media accounts.
To watch videos of all the CHEER Celebrity Supporters’ visits to their adopted teams, click here.
R.AGE would like to say a huge thank you to all the CHEER Celebrity Supporters. You’ve helped inspire not just your adopted teams, but also cheerleaders throughout the country =)
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