Emily Kimberly

Her sport:  An upcoming senior, she is captain of the cheerleading squad at St. Clair County High School.

Is cheerleading a sport?  “It makes me mad when people say it isn’t.  A lot of people think it’s just prancing around in cheerleading skirts and saying, ‘Go Team Go.’  We’re throwing girls 15 feet in the air, we’re doing flips and tumbling, we work out, and we train.  It takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.  There is no off-season for cheerleading.”

A difference between cheerleading and other sports:  “In football, if something happens, there’s always somebody on the sidelines who can take your spot.  In cheerleading, there’s no one there.  You have two minutes and 30 seconds for your routine, and if you break your foot in the middle of it, you still have to give it all you’ve got.”

The most difficult component of cheerleading:  “Tumbling is very hard.  It takes a lot of confidence in yourself.  You’re doing back flips in the air and landing on your feet and hands, so you really have to trust yourself, not be scared to do anything, and know exactly where you are at all times.”

At St. Clair High:  The daughter of Jamie Kimberly and Kim Kimberly, Emeli is a member of the Student Government Association, Future Teachers of Alabama, Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, and Spanish Club.  She also participates in the Alabama Jr. Miss Scholarship Program.  

Her favorite subjects:  Science, particularly chemistry and anatomy, and math.

After high school:  Her career goal is becoming a nurse anesthetist.  “I want to cheer in college.  My dream is to cheer for Alabama.  I hope to make their squad and get a scholarship.”