By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
CLAUDIA Warszawski is no stranger to stages.
This will definitely be helpful when the 19-year-old Endeavour Hills teen jets off to Florida in April to take part in the World Cheerleading Championship as a member of her club, The Outlaws.
TWO other Casey girls – Cranbourne’s Aurelia Tomciu and Narre Warren’s Tayla Little – will also be competing in the Outlaws outfit that heads to America for a weekend of challenging routines to be broadcast on national television via ESPN.
Claudia said she was extremely proud to be part of the first all-girl team to compete in the World Cheerleading Championship, better known as “Worlds.”
“At the end of every year we have team placement and tryouts and I later found out I had made the team (for Worlds),” Claudia said.
“I’d spoken to my coach about Worlds but I actually had no idea they were going to send through an email to say that I’d been accepted. I thought I might try and find out sometime but I left it at that.
“The next day I had an email in my inbox saying I’d been accepted. I didn’t realise what I was reading!”
Claudia is part a team in her club called the ‘Kelly Girls’, aptly named after the infamous outlaw. Despite still being a teenager she is not the youngest cheerleader competing in Worlds on 24-25 April, with ages in her group ranging from 14 to adults in their twenties.
In a bid to raise money for the trip, which is expected to cost her in the realm of $6000, Claudia sought out Casey Councillor Rosalie Crestani, of the Four Oaks Ward, to help share her story and seek support for her international bid.
Claudia couldn’t be more thankful for Cr Crestani’s support.
“I’m a uni student and because of cheerleading training I don’t have full-time availability so it’s hard to find work,” Claudia said.
“I went to Luke Donnellan (Narre Warren North MP) and he mentioned that I should speak to Rosalie.”
At council this week all three Casey cheerleaders were allocated ward funding from various councillors to be used towards their tilt at the World Championship.
With two months to prepare, Claudia said she couldn’t wait to get Florida and hoped her participation in the Worlds would be an inspiration to other girls.
For more information on the Outlaws, contact 9729 4539.
