Name: Chris Roberts
Team : England ParaCheer Team: Unified Advance
Role: Base/Backspot
Age: 23
Disability : Type 1 diabetes
Career Goal/s:
Represent my country on a world stage and show what England can put out in terms of cheer and Paracheer.
Insta – chris.cheer
Share something that makes you happy:
Helping and seeing people achieve their goals or overcome obstacles. When I got diagnosed with diabetes I had a lot of support from my family as I took the news very hard and felt like I wouldn’t be able to do anything. Now that I am older and have seen what I can do, I want to be there for others who may struggle and help them overcome whatever is stopping them. To see that person achieve what they once thought impossible is the best feeling and definitely brings a smile to my face.
Which Para Team are you most excited to see and why?
That’s a hard one as I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone can put out. but if I had to choose one it would be hip-hop. I cant dance for toffee but if I could I would want to be able to do hip hop so seeing what those guys can do would be awesome!
How many years of experience do you have?
I have been doing cheer since I was about 17, so I now have 6 years under my belt.
Which teams are you currently a part of or have been part of in the past?
I’ve been part of a lot of small local teams. I started out on Plymouth Elite, a small level 3 open senior team and then joined the level 2 university team, Plymouth Storm as well. I also took on the mantle of health and safety for Storm and eventually President. I was then asked to step in for another local academy called Pride Renegades competing at senior level 1. Eventually Plymouth Elite and Pride Renegades merged to create the programme I am in now, Power Athletics.
What was it like when you attended try-outs for Team England ParaCheer?
I was quite nervous as I came from quite a small team and wasn’t really sure what was in store on the day. However when I arrived and met the coaches and other athletes I immediately felt relaxed. It was fun to move through all aspects of Paracheer, cheering was completely new to me but I really enjoyed it and had a great laugh with the others. When we went on to tumble I didn’t have any level appropriate tumble but I did the tumbles I could and asked how I could make them better. Stunting was another aspect I was worried about. I hadn’t done much partner stunting prior to tryouts so felt I may not be able to achieve what some of the other guys could, but once we started I calmed down, listened to what the coach was telling me to do, and did what I could. I managed to perform some skills that I hadn’t done before and found I was determined to not give up until I hit the skills I was trying.
Your favourite memory from being a part of Team England ParaCheer
I find this really hard to answer as every session with the team is amazing and full of great things. However, one thing that i’ve found at every session is the strong sense of family and team work. Bonding as a team and feeling that family vibe, that we all look out for each other and care for each other and seeing little things that show this, joking with each other, sharing food or drink if others need it and the overwhelming amount of concern and care if any athlete gets injured, that’s a memory that will stick with me.
Describe the funniest thing that’s happen to you while you were at training
I think a long running ‘tradition’ that has been started probably makes me smile most, especially as it often happens to one athlete more than any other. If an athlete stands with hands on hips and you manage to clap through the loop created, they then have to standing tuck, flic or backward roll. Some of the coaches have even been caught and had to show off their tumble skills!
Are there any stunt/dance/technique adaptations you make which you find especially interesting?
I am currently doing my PT course, so seeing the adaptions for warm ups and workouts and how it allows the athletes to all train together are really interesting. I stunt with athletes in wheelchairs in our routine, so learning how to adjust my technique has been an experience I never thought I’d have. It has really shown me how important communication is in the sport and really pushed that understanding one another is key. Everyone is different, so what works for one person may not for the other, its all about communicating, adapting and overcoming. Also seeing adaptions for tumble has been really eye opening, realising that with some little changes or support, tumbles are still achievable.
What advice would you give to someone who was scared to try-out for Team England Para this year
Looking back on the days I now realise that you needn’t be scared to tryout. Trying out is a great way to learn new things and meet new people, and if you don’t make it on the team, you come away with some great experiences and knowledge. The best way to treat try outs is just like any other training session and put in 100% and leave it all on the mat.
After Worlds, what will you miss about Team England Para and why
Everything! I’ll miss the other athletes as I don’t really live near anyone and have to travel a long way to get to any of their gyms. Im going to miss training together and how we trained as well. I loved doing the long hours of cheer every other Sunday and always came away from the sessions with a sense of achievement. I’ll miss the coaches a lot, they are a great team and their knowledge is amazing! They made me laugh but also knew when to take things seriously and get our heads back into training mode!
What are you most excited to experience at Worlds 2018?
This will be my first experience of Worlds, so I am excited for it all! To be in such a big venue with such talented athletes and teams will be amazing. Getting to see first-hand the routines that everyone has been working hard for and drilling for the chance to take home the mantle of World Champions will be such a highlight for me this year! I have a feeling I will have a shopping list of items from my local team that they will want me to bring back for them as well, so going around buying things for them will be really enjoyable!
I hope you enjoyed this and stay tune for Our next interview tomorrow.
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