Talented teen Chloe Ansley is hoping to compete in the ‘Olympics’ of cheerleading.

Forget pom-poms, this is championship cheerleading.

This isn’t about chanting for your favourite sports team, it’s serious stuff, with energetic gymnastic routines.

Former gymnast Chloe, 16, of Oakes, performs with Manchester-based troupe Rising Stars.

Her Midnight team from the troupe won the Midlands Classics event at Telford and landed an invitation to compete in the ‘Worlds’ in Florida next April.

The 26-strong troupe must raise £2,000 each to make the trip and Chloe is hoping to find business sponsors.

Chloe, who is an apprentice florist at Inspirations in Salendine Nook, reached Yorkshire standard in gymnastics before quitting the sport and taking up cheerleading six years ago.

“Cheerleading is tough and there are no pom-poms,” said Chloe.

“It’s much more energetic and specialist.”

When the troupe begins training in earnest for Florida it will mean up to 17 hours’ practice every other weekend.

Mum and dad Katrina and Nick support Chloe and other daughter Kim, 14, a dancer, and son Bailey, 10, a footballer with Barnsley FC, all the way.

Katrina said: “We are very proud of all our children and in supporting all three it becomes very expensive and we don’t have much left over.

“Competing in Florida is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Chloe and we don’t want her to miss out.”

Anyone who wants to provide sponsorship for Chloe can e-mail cheerleader1@live.co.uk

FACTFILE

The first cheerleaders were men at Princeton University in the USA in 1877

They came up with “The Princeton Cheer” to support their sports team

Women began to join cheerleading squads in 1907

It is huge in the States with an estimated 1.5m cheerleaders in action at major sports events

The film Bring It On, released in 2000, attracted worldwide attention