CHEERLEADING HANGED MY LIFE!

After watching her kids on the sidelines, mum Michelle has picked up the family pompoms

- Brigid Auchettl

When Michelle Parkinson decided she needed some fun in her life, she started an adult cheerleading squad with some fellow mums, as a means of getting fit and making friends.

Now the 42-year-old shakes pompoms every week at the Reign Elite cheer club in Western Sydney. “When I first stepped on the mat it was so daunting,” says Michelle, who spent five years watching her daughters compete.

“Now I look forward to it. It doesn’t feel like hard work when you’re having that much fun.”