As Kailie Welmers (’29) finishes up her freshman year she is already preparing for sophomore year. Between throwing in track to recently earning a spot on next year’s cheer squad, she is showing that hard work can take you far.
Being a multi-sport athlete helps you learn new skills and apply them to other areas of your athletic activity. It does include a very busy schedule not only with the sports but keeping up with school work. Especially with cheerleading, going almost all year long. The only off season is spring time which is during track.
“Cheerleading, there’s a lot of lifting girls, like when you have to punch the air it really hurts. But it really helps with getting your muscles up. So then it helps you throw better,” said Welmers.
While she continues improving in discus and shot, she already has clear goals set for the future. In the midst of practices and meets, she will utilize her determination, grit, and all around hard work that will form her success.
“Throwing, I’m hoping to get at least into the 90s to 100s next year in discus, and I just want to keep progressing, like the more and more I go,” Welmers said.
Cheerleading doesn’t just care about perfection,attitude is a big deal. Welmers definitely understood that during tryouts, particularly when having a good mindset after she failed. She explained what she was thinking during tryouts.
“Just definitely don’t mess up. I figured out longer and longer that I was trying out that even if I do mess up, they just want to see how I react when I do mess up. So they want to see if I did something wrong, if I can pick it back up, or if I just stand there.”
She has overcome a lot by trying something out of her comfort zone not knowing what the outcome will be. Believing that it may be intimidating but realizing staying in the same place is worse. Welmer’s advice to someone who wants to take a chance on something different is truly inspiring.
“Just try it, honestly. It’s not gonna break you if you don’t make the team. Your life is still gonna keep going on. At least you tried,” said Welmers.
