Seven-year-old Minden resident Oaklie Harrison is getting ready to take the world by storm as she prepares for her debut at the Allstar World Championship cheerleading competition, being held in Orlando, Florida in April.
A part of U8 ‘Baby Queen Sharks’ and U12 ‘Dreamy Sharks’ squads out of Cheer Sport Sharks in Orillia, Oaklie will be one of only a handful of athletes competing for two teams at the event, said mom Karys Harrison.
She’s been an avid cheerleader for five years, joining the Orillia club when she was three. Because of her slight build, Oaklie was named flyer on the U6 ‘Teenie Boppers’ novice team – she’s the one routinely lifted into the air, showcasing her acrobatic skills with a series of aerobic moves.
Despite getting involved at such a young age, Oaklie has never shown any fear, Karys said.
“She loves it, absolutely loves it. Being up in the air is her happy place,” she said. “She’s really committed. We started out with the novice team, with a bit of a lighter schedule, but now she’s cheering nine hours per week. We’re in Orillia three times a week for this.”
Oaklie made the U8 Allstar team ahead of the 2024-25 season and impressed her coaches – so much so that she was invited to be a part of both the U8 and U12 squads this year. The cheer season is a long one, with tryouts beginning in mid-May and team practices starting in June. Competition runs through to late April.
Described as “the pinnacle of the cheerleading season,” the Florida event runs April 16-19 and will see Oaklie and her teammates competing against dozens of other squads from across the continent.
They qualified following a strong performance at the Breath of Life Cheer Challenge, held at Guelph University Nov. 30. Both the U8 and U12 teams finished second in their division, earning invitations to the world championships.
Karys said team staff and parents surprised the kids with a video unveiling before the holidays, confirming they’d secured a spot.
“Worlds is their goal, it’s what they look forward to, it’s one of the main reasons they join an Allstar team,” Karys said. “They’re very excited – once their names went up on the screen, they couldn’t believe it.”
In the weeks since, Oaklie has been putting in extra sessions on her home tumbling track. Karys said her daughter has come a long way over the past four years, crediting her progress to the teachings of Cheer Sport Sharks owner Teanna Larmand.
“They have been phenomenal every step of the way, they’ve become a second family to us. Oaklie hangs out with her cheerleading friends more than her regular school friends,” Karys said.
She’ll have strong support south of the border – Karys, husband Jack, brother Olsen and sister Ozzie will also be travelling.
Competition is likely to be stiff, Karys admits.
“I expect the teams will be competitive, but we’re not going down there expecting them to place first or second… this is all about the experience now, getting to practice at one of the top gyms in the world, performing on such a grand stage. It’s a huge deal,” Karys said. “Oaklie loves that she gets to be this fierce little girl out of Minden going to worlds.”
Due to the high cost of attending, the team is fundraising – anyone interested in supporting the efforts can contact Larmand at orillia@cheersportsharks.com or Harrison at karysk@hotmail.com.
