"It Felt Like A Dream" - Golden Girls Wins First Gold Medal
"It Felt Like A Dream" - Golden Girls Wins First Gold Medal
CheerForce Wolfpack Golden Girls has been representing Canada in the L6 International Open division for many years. This season they finished at the top!
Dreams became a reality for the CheerForce Wolfpack Golden Girls this season. The Golden Girls have a storied history in the L6 International Open division, from finishing in the top five to finishing in second place in 2022... but they were always hungry for more. They kept going back to the gym continuing to grow their culture & continuing to put in the hard work. All of that hard work paid off at The 2024 Cheerleading Worlds as Golden Girls finished at the top of the podium to win the gold medal for the first time ever. Years of hard work all came to fruition as Golden Girls brought home the first-ever golden globe for CheerForce Wolfpack.
CheerForce Wolfpack Golden Girls is coached by several coaches, and coach Jess Montoya joined FloCheer to share more on the special journey this season. Montoya used to compete on Golden Girls herself before transitioning to coach the team. Hearing their names called as World Champions and getting to celebrate with her athletes is an unforgettable moment for Montoya.
"I fell to the floor and we lost our minds because it was just a dream that we had never known that we could achieve and we were so proud of them," said Jess Montoya, CheerForce Wolfpack Golden Girls coach.
Montoya says the win is the culmination of years of hard work, and also represents the special culture that Golden Girls has created with every single athlete who has been a part of the team over the years.
"I will start crying just talking about it. It's just been so long. I was on the team, so we had of course been a part of the division forever. I was a part of the team when we came in 5th which was of course a huge accomplishment, but that was way back in like 2009. So it's been a grind, but the talent is incredible so we appreciated it so much when it was our time. And it just felt like a dream truly," said Montoya.
Golden Girls competed with some flashy skills this season including their rewinds to immediate aerobesque in their stunt sequence. It was a skill they had been working on since the start of the season, but one they didn't implement until about halfway through the season.
"Honestly, it was a skill that we had been working on since the summer. And you start off with your progressions, and you start off with lower level skills to make your way there. But it was on our mind the entire season," Montoya explained. "We brought it in halfway through, and the girls weren't scared of it. They wanted it. So when a team wants to do something so bad, I think that's the extra edge instead of anyone being tentative. It was very aggressive, and it was a moment in our music because we knew that we were going to wow everyone when we were able to do it."
The win has brought tons of reflection back on the journey every athlete has been on. Montoya says one of the most special parts is knowing that athlete's had long-time dreams come true!
"A lot of these kids have grown up with us, but those who haven't.. they've all just been great people. It's just awesome to watch them grow as people, and watching them win a globe, win Worlds is even cooler," Montoya said.
