BONUS EPISODE: THE ATHLETES INTERVIEW ME (AND I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THEY’D ASK)

Violet: I’m Violet…

Elena: …and I’m Elena.

Violet: And we’re interviewing Allison because why not?

Allison: So… a little bit before Christmas, these two asked me if they could do an interview. And I was obviously feeling a little bit festive and said yes. So I don’t really know what they’re going to ask me… and I don’t really know what they’re going to ask me to do.

So it’s going to be a little bit interesting. But this is a bit of a bonus episode — so we’ll see how it goes. I’m going to let you guys take over the interview and we’ll see what they come up with.

Violet: So basically we don’t have like… very crazy questions. But like, if there’s a question that you don’t want to answer you’ve got to do a roly-poly.

Allison: Okay… can I pass the forward roll on to Elijah?

Allison (to Elijah): Are you willing to take on a forfeit, Elijah?

Elijah: Yes.

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QUESTION 1: COMPETITIVE TEAMS

Violet: The first question is… do you think that you will get more competitive teams for this season or in the future?

Allison: In the future.

Violet: Or in the future?

Allison: In the future. If we keep going in the direction that our teams are currently going in, then it is likely that there would be more competitive teams… or possibly levels would change, yes.

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QUESTION 2: WHAT WAS OWNING A GYM LIKE?

Elena: What was the experience of owning a gym like?

Allison: That’s a really huge question. It depends in what sense… do you mean the program that I’m running now, or do you mean the program that I ran before?

Elena: The program you ran before — the whole experience.

Allison: A good word would probably be transformational. Because when I started that program, that was something I never intended to do to start with — there was just a need for it. And then over time it changed and grew… and it’s still changing now with the new owners that took it over.

She’s now progressing it into something else. So transformational would probably be a good word. I had to grow a lot as a person running that business, and change in lots of different ways.

It was a big responsibility, and a big part of our life for a very long time.

Violet: That’s crazy.

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QUESTION 3: HIGHEST LEVEL YOU’VE COACHED?

Violet: What’s the highest level you’ve coached?

Allison: Ooh… the highest level I’ve coached would be level four, when we were training to go and take teams over to compete in Texas and Florida.

But the highest level that I’m credentialed up is to level five. So I’ve coached a lot of level five tumbles… but team-wise, level four.

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QUESTION 4: WOULD YOU EVER OWN A GYM AGAIN?

Elena: Would you ever own a gym again?

Allison: You mean a building, right?

So lots of athletes this year — or a few — have asked about going into a gym as in a building. And the reason being is because what I’m coaching currently… is not in a building itself.

So the program that I run right now is operated at various different locations. Sometimes I’m in a school. Sometimes I’m outside in a field. Sometimes we might be in a church or a hall. It just depends.

I don’t actually have a building with the coaching program that I’m operating and running right now.

Whereas when we owned Gold Rush, that was a typical all-star cheerleading program in a gym as you would typically think of it.

But we don’t have that right now. So the girls are asking if I would consider going down that route again… and that is another massive question, with lots of moving parts.

As much as I’d love to have a home and a building — somewhere families and cheerleaders and athletes come to and it feels like a second home because you’re there all the time, and it’s a single location — it also comes with other aspects you have to think about.

One: the financial cost of setting up that kind of operation.

And two: if you do have it in one location, it also means I wouldn’t be able to go and coach in other locations… and make cheerleading available to more schools and students and children that are in different areas, because then they’d have to come to just the one.

So… not anytime soon would probably be a good answer.

At the moment, when we’re coaching competitive teams, even though we don’t have a gym, we do hire gyms and we do hire locations and take the teams there to go and use their gym — which is currently working for us right now.

I have done a previous episode on a gym checklist… which you girls might want to watch when you get older, if you want to own a cheerleading gym yourselves — about what is involved in having a whole program.

I haven’t done a video on the financial breakdown, but it is a huge commitment. It becomes something that takes over your whole entire life. It’s seven days a week. It’s all the time.

So it is a big responsibility… so not anytime soon.

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QUESTION 5: IF SOMEONE GAVE YOU A MILLION DOLLARS…

Violet: If someone gave you a million dollars what would you do with it?

Allison: Million dollars… I was actually thinking the other day — even if, for some crazy reason, our family ended up being in a position where finances wasn’t an issue anymore, and it wasn’t something you had to worry about…

Even in the instance someone gave us a million dollars and you could pay off your mortgage and set up retirement and da da da…

Even at that point — even if I was a billionaire, not a millionaire — I would still be doing cheerleading and I would still be writing books. Because it’s just something that I love to do.

I don’t even know if I would own another gym. I like to travel a lot and I like to hang out with family and friends.

So I’d still be involved in cheerleading — but I think I’d do an awful lot of volunteering my time at friends’ programs and going and coaching still.

And I’d still be writing books and projects because it’s what I love to do. And I’m glad that I get to do it every day. Like… I’m lucky that I get to do something I love — so even if I was at that point where you could make the decision to say “I don’t have to work anymore”… I’d still be doing what I do regardless.

Allison: What would you do if you won a million dollars?

Allison: Oh, I get to ask questions back? Is that a thing? I don’t know. Am I breaking the rules right now? Forward roll, forward roll.

Elena: I don’t know.

Allison: What would you do if you won a million dollars?

Elijah: I would spend it with you.

Allison: What would you do?

Violet: I’d buy a house.

Allison: Oh yeah. Good investment.

Violet: I’d buy a gym.

Allison: Oh yeah. Investment. And then would you hire me?

Violet: Yeah.

Allison: I love it. I love it. I love it.

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QUESTION 6: HARDEST SKILL TO TEACH?

Violet: In your opinion, what is the hardest skill to teach?

Allison: I wouldn’t necessarily say the hardest thing to teach is actually a skill. I don’t feel like that’s necessarily hard.

I think something that takes a lot of time for quite a lot of people… is actually being able to perform.

Because when you’re teaching someone a skill, there’s always a way to teach that skill, right? Whether it’s a handstand, a forward roll, a layout, back handspring… or if you’re teaching a prep, an extension, a basket…

There’s always drills. There’s always steps.

But when we’re teaching athletes a routine — and we’ve spent ages teaching you guys the skills — you’re working as a group, you’re learning your routine… that’s fine.

But then being able to know that routine back to front… be able to do it without consciously thinking… and then being able to perform — I think that’s the harder task, and it takes more than what is assumed.

Sometimes people assume, “Okay, they know the skills and they know the routine and now they can perform.”

But you actually have to work on performing — consciously being aware of your facial expressions… and your presence on the stage.

So I would say performing.

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QUESTION 7: FAVOURITE LEVEL TO COACH?

Elena: What level is your favourite to coach?

Allison: I have so many favourite things in each level… but I’d probably say level three.

Only because there’s so many level three skills I really love — lots of level three tumble skills I love, and lots of level three stunt skills.

Level three is a place where you can get really creative and really fun, and skills start becoming a lot more free.

In saying that, I do love coaching level one… because you have to be super creative with level one because it is so rigid.

So first place: level three. Second place: level one.

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QUESTION 8: FAVOURITE ELEMENT OF CHEER?

Violet: What element of cheer do you like the most — like dancing, tumbling, or stunting?

Allison: Definitely stunting. Stunting is my favourite part of cheer.

Coaching versus doing is a little bit different. Like I loved doing basket tosses as an athlete — but I love watching pyramids.

Pyramids are one of my favourite parts to watch. And coaching pyramids is such a challenge… and can be so fun and creative.

But doing basket tosses? All the way. It’s so fun.

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QUESTION 9: FAVOURITE COMPETITION?

Elena: What’s your favourite competition to go to?

Allison: This year we’re taking you guys to CheerCon — which is super, super, super fun.

Violet: You always find lucky ducks when we go to CheerCon.

Allison: We do! It’s a really fun competition. They make it enjoyable for families, their MC last year was super entertaining for parents, and it’s just such a good vibe.

So I’m really excited to take you guys there.

Violet: Is Hydra going to CheerCon?

Allison: Yes, Hydra is going to CheerCon.

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QUESTION 10: FAVOURITE COMP MEMORY?

Elena: Do you have a favourite memory at a competition?

Allison: Yes… there’s quite a few, but the first one that comes to mind is when I had a level one team called 24 Karat.

They won a bid to go and compete in Hawaii… and a Pinnacle bid to go and compete in Melbourne as well. And they won Grand Champions at that competition.

And Elijah… you were still a baby. You would have been maybe about six months old.

And I was actually changing at the time. And the team was getting called up, and I remember picking you up and throwing you in the air and catching you — because that was our celebration.

Because we didn’t go up on the floor with the team… because I was looking after you.

That’s probably one of my favourite memories.

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BONUS CHAOS ROUND: “FAVOURITE STUNT GROUP?”

Allison: You’ve got to make up your own questions. Are these bonus questions?

I haven’t had to do any forward rolls yet, so I feel like I’m winning.

Elijah: My roly-poly!

Allison: Oh no.

Elijah: Mum, if you don’t do it, then I can answer it.

Allison: Okay.

Violet: What’s your favourite stunt group?

Allison: Stunt group? Out of what?

Violet: Kraken.

Allison: No. No. I’m forfeiting. Off you go.

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QUESTION 11: FAVOURITE TUMBLE PASS (KRAKEN VS HYDRA)

Violet: What’s your favourite tumble out of Kraken and Hydra?

Allison: Tumble pass or tumbler?

Violet: Tumble pass.

Allison: My favourite tumble pass out of those two… that’s a hard question too. They’re very similar.

I think I actually really liked Kraken’s first standing tumble pass that we did — the first competition last season.

Do you remember the one where it was like the standing bridge, one arm, one leg? That one was very pretty.

It was very in time. Everybody knew the counts and it visually looked really effective.

So I like how that one looked on the floor the most.

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QUESTION 12: FAVOURITE MAIN BASE?

Violet: Who’s your favourite main base — me or Mia?

Allison: Mia’s our assistant coach…

No — it’s just those two, I’m afraid.

Violet: That’s all of our questions.

Allison: That’s all your questions! Thank you.

Do you have any questions for the girls, Elijah?

Elijah: No.

Allison: No questions for the girls?

Elijah: I would be scared.

Elijah: Wait, I have one. What’s your favourite team?

Violet: Our Coastal or any cheerleading team in the whole world?

Elijah: Any cheerleading team in the whole world.

Violet: Coastal.

Elena: That’s not Coastal.

Violet: Actually… I don’t know. I like Senior Elite.

Violet: Yes, I like The Unit. And like Orange Rays.

Elena: I don’t know. I’m not sure.

Allison: That means you have to do a forward roll now.

Elena: No!

Allison: You’ve got to do it.

(Forward roll achieved. Crowd goes wild.)

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GYM BABY LIFE

Allison: What was your favourite thing, Elijah, about being a gym baby and growing up in a gym?

Elijah: That I like jumping on the trampoline a lot. Except for the time when I hit my head.

Allison: Safety first, people. Safety first.

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WHAT ARE YOU GIRLS EXCITED FOR THIS SEASON?

Allison: What are you girls looking forward to the most this season?

Violet: The competitions… and like learning the routine… and doing the stunts and the tumbles.

Allison: What about your new training uniform?

Elena: Oh yes, I love the new uniform. Oh my gosh!

Violet: There’s a wasp on your back.

Allison: Actually? Is it still on my back?

Violet: Yeah, it’s still on your back.

Allison: Oh good. There was a wasp.

Well… we all know you’re going to save us if we need you.

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TUMBLING GOALS

Allison: What is your tumbling goal for this season — you two? What’s your goal each?

Elena: To actually do a back walk… wait not a back walkover — to kick off from a bridge.

Allison: A bridge kickover.

Violet: I really want to learn my back handspring.

Allison: Yep — they are good goals to have.

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STUNT DREAMS (WITHIN LEVEL ONE)

Allison: What stunt would you like to have? If you could have any stunts in your routine within level one, what would it be? Is there anything you’ve seen that you’d like to do?

Violet: You know how you were teaching us… to hold onto the back spot and then do like…

Allison: Braced single legs.

Violet: Like in the prep you hop and catch.

Allison: Oh yeah. TikToks.

Elena: I like the one we did with Sarah… where she… backed up?

Allison: That’s level three. We only did those because it was the end-of-year showcase — so I was teaching you some other random things.

But we can’t do that in level one because we will get deductions.

Violet: That’s so fun though.

Allison: If you want to do group stunts, you could do higher-level group stunts.

Violet: Wait, we should do a level three group stunt.

Allison: We could. That would be fun.

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BEAN BOOZLED, BINGO BOARDS & CHEER CHAOS

Violet: Do you think we should play Bean Boozled this year?

Elena: Yes.

Violet: No.

Elena: Yes.

Violet: And it’s going to be on you.

Allison: Absolutely not.

Violet: Do you guys want to do a bingo board this year?

Elena: Yes.

Violet: Are you going to try and achieve your bingo board?

Elena: Yes. And it’s going to be hard.

Violet: This bingo board — if we get it, we should…

Elena: We should have a sleepover where we’re doing our practice.

Allison: You want a sleepover if you hit your bingo board?

Violet: Yeah!

Allison: That would be fun.

Violet: And then we bring candy…

Elena: We can make a candy salad.

Violet: You know those cheer teams that do candy salads?

Elena: We could do a candy salad.

Allison: Okay… alright. We’ll have a team chat about that.

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THANK YOU FOR NOT TRAUMATISING ME

Allison: Any other questions before we go, people?

Violet: I don’t have any.

Elena: I don’t have any.

Allison: Alright. I’m just grateful they didn’t bring any horrible food. I was a bit worried about your suggestion of a teaspoonful of Vegemite…

Elijah: Oh my goodness.

Allison: I love a teaspoonful of Vegemite. I was more worried about sour stuff or chilli or…

Violet: We were going to!

Allison: You’re lucky.

Elena: We were going to bring chillies and—

Allison: If you bring a chilli and if I don’t want to answer, I have to bite it? Like no water?

Elena: Yeah. Or sour candy — but it gets really really sour.

Allison: I’m glad we didn’t do that. We are still on school holidays at this point, so we’re going to go for a swim. We’re down by the beach and by the pool. We’re going to go have some fun now for the last few weeks of school holidays.

Today — thank you for listening, and thank you for joining us on our bonus episode.

Violet & Elena: Bye!

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Allison xx