A DENTON cheerleading club is celebrating a double dose of success after two of its teams secured dream places at the world championships in America.
Apex Odyssey, based on Wilton Street, will send Lightning and Rebel across the Atlantic in 2027 after they earned prestigious international bids – a landmark achievement as it prepares to enter its 10th year.
For head coach and founder Hayley Ratcliffe, having two teams heading to America makes an already special year even more significant.
“It felt very symbolic and all connected to the 10th year, 10th season, first bid to America and first time I get to take my son to America,” she said.
“A month later Lightning got the bid.”
Lightning’s journey to the world stage has been a whirlwind for co-coach Kayleigh Drake, who started the team alongside fellow coach Jacie Hallam four years ago.
“It’s come a lot faster than I thought it was,” she said. “It was a little team of 10 when we started and now we’re at 22 and going to Worlds.”
A true moment of disbelief when Lightning won the bid at ICE, shortly after Rebel secured a Summit bid at the Future Cheer European Championship.
Lightning Co-captain Ceris recalled the exact moment it was announced, saying: “I basically screamed, cried and sobbed.”
For the youngest member of the squad, Primrose, the team has become more than just a group of cheerleaders.
“We’re all like a family together, we’re all dead nice to each other and we work together,” she said.
Coach Jacie, who will travel with Lightning to America, said taking the team to Worlds is something she has dreamed of for years.
“I will be going with Lightning to the Worlds. It’s been a lifelong dream to take them there and go and watch it for myself,” she said.
Haylee describes the team as “strong, sassy and definitely a force to be reckoned with”.
While Lightning’s squad is made up of younger athletes, Rebel brings a different energy to the club but both teams share the same determination to compete at the highest level.
For Hayley, watching both teams earn their places in America is a reflection of how far Apex has come since she founded the club in 2017.
“All the little teams are named after motorbikes, because my dad is obsessed with motorbikes,” she added.
“The name Apex came from the apex of a MotoGP track.”
She describes Lightning as a “big ball of energy” young athletes who are eager to learn, fearless and keen to absorb everything they can.
Rebel, meanwhile, is “strong, sassy and definitely a force to be reckoned with”.
The team celebrated securing their bids with a meal, dressing up in American colours before quickly turning their attention to the challenge ahead.
The trip for both teams will involve significant costs, including competition fees, accommodation, transport, training sessions, food and other resources.
@ggc_media Apex Odyssey are heading to America! Cheerleading teams Apex Odyssey Lightning and Rebel, have secured bids to compete internationally next year. It’s a huge achievement for the Denton based club, and just in time for Apex Odyssey’s 10th year. Thanks to their bids, competition entry is $269 per athlete, but flights, accommodation, transport, food and training all still need to be funded. Apex is now fundraising and calling on local businesses to help get the Apex Army across the Atlantic. For these girls, it’s more than just a competition, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. Can you help them make it to America? #usa #mcr #cheer #fundraiser #local ♬ original sound – GGC Media
Thanks to securing their bids, entry fee is $269 per athlete. Without the bid, the cost would be roughly double. Apex has set up a collective fundraising account and is appealing to local businesses for sponsorship.
Bronze, silver, gold and platinum sponsorship packages are available, giving businesses opportunities including branding on team T-shirts and promotion across social media.
Local businesses have already begun getting behind the squad, with donations also being collected for a raffle at the team’s December showcase.
For Apex, the next few months will be about preparing both teams for the biggest opportunity of their careers while celebrating how far the club itself has come.
Now, the countdown to America has begun.