SunRidge Middle School students cheer on

The Special Olympics unified cheer team took part in its first competition of the season at the beginning of March. 

The team, which comprises 18 members – six of which are unified partners – is run by head coach April Keller. 

Sydney Whitman, Hailey Zaver, Rafaela Berretta and Giselle Bewley, who all attend SunRidge Middle School, are part of the team. The girls were surprised by two of their teachers and the head of the Exceptional Student Education program who came to cheer them on at the event – Crystal Hamilton, Amanda Burke and Melissa Breaud. 

“It was such a special moment seeing the staff come out to support our girls,” Cricket Whitman, mother of Sydney, said. “It really makes all of the difference. They went above and beyond. The girls were so happy to see them.”

Although the team is already preparing for its next competition, the members are also searching for help in their fundraising efforts. 

Top Gun All Stars typically sponsors part of the team so the members can practice at the gym located in Ocoee. In the past, Top Gun covered expenses for the cheer uniforms. However, this year families were asked to pay around $300 to $400 per team member, which would eliminate a lot of the participants due to financial difficulties.

In order to combat the issue, the team has started fundraising to cover the cost of the uniforms. In addition, the donations can help raise money for the team to participate in The Cheerleading Worlds, which takes place in April at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. 

TEAM IMPACT

Cricket Whitman said Sydney started with the Special Olympics when she was only 8 years old. 

Although she originally participated in swimming the first year, Sydney now focuses on bowling, gymnastics and cheerleading. 

“In her life, everything is harder than what typical kids go through,” Cricket Whitman said. “With the Special Olympics, they get to do something fun and also get immediate gratification.”

Although the Special Olympics cheer season runs from December through May, the girls practice year round. 

Ashley Graham, a sophomore cheerleader from Windermere High School, is one of the unified partners on the team. 

“I decided to get involved because of my younger brother who has high-functioning autism,” she explained. “My brother participated in the Special Olympics swimming program from a very young age. He adored his coach, and he was with him from when he was 5 years old until around 11 or 12 years old. I knew that his coach’s positive attitude and compassion left a huge impact on my brother, and I wanted to be able to give that to others.”

Graham said watching the team has been both inspiring and eye opening for her. 

“Watching them react so well to such difficult sensory situations with ease really showed me the progress they had made as a team,” she said. “What inspires me about them is that they’re always ready to learn and try something new. They always lift each other up and continue to push through on the rough days.”

The team's next competition will be the Special Olympics area games, which will take place March 29 at Top Gun.