DANTE MARTINELLI

Dante Martinelli is a 19-year-old cheerleader on TGLC (Top Gun Large Coed). This is his 10th season and he is super excited to share some parts of his journey with us!

What made you start cheer?

When I was younger, I was in a power tumbling program that also had a cheerleading program. They ended up having a practice during one of ours, and I couldn’t keep a smile off my face watching them. From there I went on YouTube and watched as many cheer videos as I could find.

What sports did you do prior to cheer?

I did baseball, soccer, and power tumbling

Did you face any challenges being a male athlete and a person of color?

Growing up in a predominantly white state, and being on a team of that nature, I always felt a little bit different being POC and Male. There were a few times where I was treated differently because I was the only boy, but nothing too abnormal.

What advice would you give to new athletes looking to be successful in cheer?

Keep pushing yourself. You may not see the results you want right away, but success comes at different times for everyone, but it especially comes to those most determined, and willing to go the extra mile.

And finally, what is your favorite thing about cheer?

My favorite thing about cheer is that it’s like no other sport. There’s a huge shared community that supports each other that we all get to be apart of.