Stereotypical pom-poms are binned for aerial acrobatics as the Team New Zealand Cheerleaders prepare to defend a 2014 title at the world championships in Florida this month.
Fifty dedicated cheerleaders began a week-long boot camp yesterday, training 12 hours a day, in the lead-up to the championships.
The team have their own sports psychologist, nutritionist and top coaches from the United States, who have come to New Zealand to teach new stunts, choreography and tumble skills ahead of the champs.
They will be in Florida for two weeks competing against 30,000 cheerleaders from 70 countries.
Yesterday they were at the All Star Cheerleaders gymnasium in Glenfield on Auckland's North Shore.
