Two Scott City cheerleaders will perform in London New Year's parade

It's just like in the movies. Two cheerleaders from Scott City will head across the Atlantic Ocean next week to perform in the London New Year's Day Parade with 650 other high-school cheerleaders to represent Varsity Spirit.

While it may seem like a fairy tale, their tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime experience come solely through hard work and talent.

Scott City senior Alexis Lewallen is one of those two cheerleaders who will make the trip abroad, and she said she's elated. Lewallen's mother, Sarah Burford, said her daughter has been cheering since she was little. It was all those years of cheering and mastering technical skills that paved the way to London.

Her mother was a student and cheerleader at Three Rivers Community College when Lewallen was born. She said many of her childhood days were spent in a mini-cheerleading uniform, like her mother's.

When she was 5 or 6 years old, Lewallen said she began cheering at Athletes Plus Cheerleading Training Center, where her mother was a coach.

Flash forward several years and Lewallen is still working to hone her craft.

After attending a Universal Cheerleaders Association summer camp, Lewallen said she was given the chance to try out as an All-American Cheerleader. At the end of that camp, she and classmate Jasmine Barajas were named All-American.

The two were given the choice between several high-profile events, such as the Disney Citrus Bowl, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or the London New Year's Day Parade.

The choice for them was clear.

Lewallen said the two have plans to sightsee during their weeklong stay. They'll visit Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the London Eye.

She said she's most looking forward to "seeing historical things and trying new food, because food is life."

Barajas is a sophomore who began cheerleading last year. She said she wasn't very confident until after attending the UCA summer camp and being named All-American. After just one year in the activity, Barajas said the recognition is a huge achievement.

"I get told every day, 'I'm so proud of you,' from everyone," Barajas said. "I've never been that experienced with a lot of things, so doing something outside of my comfort zone was a big change for [my family], and they're so proud."

Also outside her comfort zone will be the voyage to London, as Barajas said this is the first time she ever will have flown on a plane or left the country. She said she's pretty nervous to fly for the first time.

While it may be a nerve-wracking experience, it's one that many cheerleaders their age won't get. According to a news release by Burford, the chance to perform in the London New Year's Day parade is one only 10 percent of the more than 325,000 cheerleaders and dancers who attend Varsity Spirit Summer camps get each year.

Though her mother won't accompany Lewallen to London, she said the trip wouldn't be possible without her mother's support to raise enough money to fund her travel expenses.

"It's just one of those things where you're like, 'Oh my gosh, I have the chance to do this,'" Lewallen said. "I'm very thankful for how much my family has done for me and how far cheer has brought me in life."

Barajas said she has felt similar support from her mother, who helped raise money by selling homemade tamales. She said the cheerleading team pitched in with a fundraiser.

With a few years left of high school, Barajas said she likely will continue cheerleading because she enjoys the sport.

Lewallen plans to follow in her mother's footsteps and attend Three Rivers College to study education, psychology and maybe theater.