Kāpiti cheerleading team Big Air Rebels have opportunity to compete in CheerBrandz Australasian Majors

The Big Air Rebels are fundraising to compete in the CheerBrandz Australasian Majors.

A major international competition has started huge fundraising efforts for a team of local cheerleaders.

The Big Air Rebels were one of three teams selected by Bigair Gymsports and Cheerleading to compete in the CheerBrandz Australasian Majors in Brisbane.

The competition is on October 21 and 22 and requires teams to perform various cheerleading challenges such as stunts, tumbles and jump show-offs.

On its website, CheerBrandz describes the competition as “an electrifying atmosphere, with fun at the heart of everything we do”.

But for the Big Air Rebels, it’s going to be expensive getting there, with an estimated cost of $2000 per team member and coach (11 people). Each athlete is also going to bring at least one parent, which adds to the cost.

They need to dig deep and push through the hard training

Olivia De Martin

To raise the money, the team has been working hard.

So far, they have had a quiz night, which one of the coaches, Olivia De Martin, said was a success – and that’s just the beginning.

They have a car wash planned for Sunday, May 21, at $5 per wash, and they’ll also have a sausage sizzle.

The fundraising doesn’t stop there – De Martin said they had various efforts planned for the months leading up to the competition.

After the first quiz night’s success, the team plans to host another, and more Sunday car washes are on the table.

The Big Air Rebels are made up of nine athletes: Elle Stratford, Izzy Armstrong, Chanel Edge, Maddie Sutherland, Ariana Leith, Dillon Cullen, Manna Peregrine, Chantelle Black and Esme Batsford.

All nine are aged between 10 and 14 and none of them have competed internationally before.

The Big Air Rebels are gearing up for their first international competition

In fact, many of the team members participated in their first competition just last year.

The Big Air Rebels also have one other coach, Grace White, and De Martin described them all as a small but tight-knit team.

De Martin, who has travelled with teams in the past, said overseas competitions were always the best experience, but it was a big jump into the unknown for the team.

“There are a lot of nerves.”

The competition was great motivation for the team and gave them a good goal, she said.

“They need to dig deep and push through the hard training.”