Meet the Showcase Team!

After training for several months, we are excited to share that Team ParaCheerGB will be showcasing at the 2026 ICU World Championships at the end of April out at ESPN Wide World of Sport, Orlando, Florida.

This is a critical moment in history as this team forms the first ever group of athletes meeting Paralympic eligibility based on the ICU’s Draft Classification system (created with the International Paralympic Committee). Every athlete on the team has been tested through this classification system.

According to the ICU Draft Classification rules – “To be eligible to compete in Para Sport Cheer, an athlete must have a qualified permanent physical, sensory, or intellectual disability which in the opinion of the International Cheer Union (ICU) reduces the ability of the athlete to function to a degree where they cannot compete in Cheer with the same technique, control, safety, stability, and endurance” [sic] as an athlete without a an eligible impairment.

Each of the athletes showcasing have been classified as Paralympic Eligible, under those draft classification rules, and assigned an “Athlete Point Value (APV) of between 0.5 and 3.5, which in turn defines the Teams Sport Class – (A) for this particular team, at this time.  

Meet the Athletes

Image	Name	Athlete Point Value
	Annalise Powell	3
	Abbie Harrington	3
	Emma Pitt	3.5
	Erin Ackerley	3
	Fay James	3
	Gemma Hodgson	1.5
	Paul Connor	2.5
	Staci Gilbert	3
	Zoe Witham	2.5

These participants have worked extremely hard over the last year to adapt the activities of cheerleading to work within the parameters of their individual impairments and overcome the unique challenges presented when those impairments come together on the field of play.

At present, the showcase routine is presented at Intermediate level (equivalent Level 2 All-star) to ensure appropriate skill progression is taking place, but we hope the team will continue to progress and that the division level will increase over time.

Meet Our Coaches:

	Rick Rodgers	Co-Head Coach
	Chantal Epp	Co-Head Coach
	Julie Westvang	Assistant Coach & Athlete Welfare
	Gavin Clacey	Team Physio
	Lucy Brewer	Strength & Conditioning Coach

Please be welcoming of these athletes and our coaches if you see them around the venue. They are #MakingHistory, and we hope you’ll be Cheering for Everyone when they take the stage at the ICU World Championships.