ATLANTA — A cheerleading squad from south Atlanta has proven again that their determination and hard work can take them anywhere.
The team from Kindezi Gideons Elementary in the tough Pittsburg community in Atlanta set out to prove in March that they were more than where they came from.
“There’s just not a lot of opportunity, so I wanted them to realize you have dreams and they can come true,” Coach Gabrielle Abrams explained to 11Alive that month.
Abrams worked with the girls from the Wolfpack Dream Team to train them to become cheerleaders so they could compete in their first major competition featuring teams from all over Georgia and neighboring states - many with more means than the Wolfpack Dream Team.
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That didn't stop the squad's shine, though. In April, the team told 11Alive after weeks of hard work, they took home first place in the national competition at the Georgia International Convention Center. It was a major feat for the team of girls, many of whom had never cheered before.
They then set their sights on a higher prize - the US Finals. That competition happened May 4 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. And the team stepped up again - winning the competition to become champions!
Photos: Cheer team looking to defy the odds
For many of the girls, the experience has been one to help give them a newfound confidence - and a sisterhood.
“My coach – what she means to me is … she’s like a sister, a mother and an auntie,” one cheerleader explained.
For Abrams, the sentiment warms her heart.
“I don’t have any kids, so they just called me ‘mama,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m not your mama’,” she joked.
But ultimately, Abrams said she is glad they got the chance to prove "we can defy all the odds," Abrams said.