Do you have a disability living in Nova Scotia? Well, come join the Scotia Power Pak cheerleading squad!
I've been cheerleading for Scotia Cheerleading’s special All-Stars team, Power Pak, since junior high. I love it because it allows people with differing abilities a regular cheer experience in a safe and fun environment.
I can't be on a regular cheerleading team because I am very unsteady on my feet and don’t have good balance, but the Power Pak program is adapted for my needs.

The team welcomes people with all kinds of differing abilities. That includes people like me with Cerebral Palsy, a motor disability, as well as people with other conditions like autism and down syndrome.
I can safely say I’ve met lifelong friends on this team and it’s changed my life for the better.

In September we start the basics of a routine at the gym, practicing one evening per week until end of May
In a normal cheer season we would add in weekend competitions, sometimes with teams from all across the province, beginning in February.
The competitions usually last two days and my team usually presents one of them. The current COVID-19 pandemic means a reduced schedule with only one competition appearance this season, Cheer Blast 2021.
During a normal season, we usually compete most at Halifax’s Exhibition Park, with additional trips to the Annapolis Valley, Truro and sometimes as far as Moncton.
We practice hard, like any other team, getting our routines down before competition, where hundreds of people can be in the audience.
The only things that are different for me is that I use my walker to get around the mat, and during some stunts where I can’t hold the walker myself, someone has to hold my waist so that I don't fall.

What I love most about being on Power Pak is you get to meet new friends that are able bodied as well as people with disabilities. We all go to the same shows and we can still cheer, we just do it a bit differently.
To find out more information about Scotia Cheerleading All-stars visit https://www.scotiacheerallstars.ca/whatweoffer
Hope to see you cheering for your superhero at Scotia!

Great post on cheerleading Kiera and really beautiful pictures. Hope all of you get back to a regular season next year. I look forward to see you cheer again. Love Nanny