Three of Frederick High’s cheerleaders got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform a routine at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Seniors Brianna Romero, Peyton Bruggeman, and Junior Shori Olsen were so excited to be given this amazing opportunity, giving the three cheerleaders an experience they will never forget.

Romero said the preparation wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. “The company that I got selected by would send out informational videos and would talk about what the trip would look like, etc.” She said they sent out step-by-step videos of the routine with the music, which was pretty easy to follow. “I would work on learning this during the time after school before my regularly scheduled practice.”

Bruggeman shared her experience from the days leading up to the big performance. “We practiced between 4 and 8 hours a day while we were in New York starting Saturday, leading up to the performance on Thursday.” She talked about how exciting it was to perform in front of such a big crowd. “It was super fun! The dance we did was very high energy, and the crowd loved it.”

While the other two cheerleaders were feeling good about the performance, Shori was feeling a little stressed out. Having to juggle her new routine with her normal high school routine caused her some stress. “I took everything one step at a time; it helped me not stress out about other things when I’m doing something else in the moment. If I have free time, then I could worry about what I need to do then.”

Romero gave some advice to other students hoping to perform at large events: “Hard work trumps talent, and I strongly believe that that’s what got me into this parade.” Brianna said something she will never forget was the feeling of finishing the routine. “ The energy around me was amazing; the friends that I had made all celebrated with me in the realization of what just happened, finally set in.”

Bruggeman’s favorite part of the parade was getting to see the Rockettes perform. She had lots of fun exploring the big city and going to Broadway shows.

“To find people that you will have fun and feel comfortable with, and they can make the time worthwhile.” Sheri’s favorite part was also getting to explore the city. She said she will never forget the moment when they all walked to the NBC dress rehearsal and everyone was singing and having fun.”