By Sophie Johnson, Social Media Editor
Somersaults, balance beams and cartwheels: the basics of gymnastics. Then come more advanced tricks like roundoffs, standing tucks and roundoff back handspring tucks. Seniors Hayley and Shelby Miller have been through it all – and will continue to learn more tricks through college.
The twins began taking gymnastics in preschool, just like many toddlers.
“First we started out with gymnastics in Currituck and then it changed into a cheer gym when we were in kindergarten,” Shelby said.
The two decided to keep going to the gym and give cheering a try. They fell in love with the sport and have kept with it. They’ve been on several competition teams, such as Fame Vixens, and cheered in both middle and high school. The twins have been cheering for so long they would feel like something was missing out of their life if they didn’t cheer in college.
“I’ve done it for so long and I saw the chance that I would be able to make it, so I just wanted to see,” Shelby said. “I think it’ll be a good transition to my first year of college so I get to know some older girls and they get to kinda show me around. I think it’ll be easier to go into it.”
Meeting new people and getting school work done might seem hard when competing in a sport in college, but Wilmington has a great cheer program that isn’t too time-consuming.
“Wilmington cheerleading is not as big of a commitment as some other schools because they practice every day, whereas Wilmington, we practice twice a week and it’s super lenient and not so much of a job, more just for fun,” Hayley said.
Like most siblings, Hayley and Shelby have a lot in common, yet also differ very much. Hayley looks forward to the performing aspect of being on the cheer team while Shelby enjoys a different part.
“I don’t like the performance part because I’m kind of shy in that way. I don’t like dancing in front of people. I like stunting and tumbling better,” Shelby said.
The two will have to put any differences aside next year, though, because they will not only be teammates and sisters, but roommates, too.
“We’re going to room together because it’ll be easier to adjust going into school not really knowing anybody, and also she already knows what I don’t like and I know what she doesn’t like,” Shelby said.
Even though the twins have been rooming together their entire lives, they’re still excited to be together next year.
“It’s gonna be great. We know we’re gonna fight and bicker, but so is everybody else,” Hayley said. “Shelby and I do a lot better together, it makes us both more outgoing.”
Their bond will only grow stronger while they will be cheering and rooming together.
“We thought about leaving each other and it’d be really hard,” Shelby said.
Senior Sophie Johnson can be reached at [email protected].
