LAMAR, Ark. — One local teen is inspiring her community as she cheers for her home team.
From cheering for her older brothers in the stands, to cheering for the Warriors on the sidelines, there is one thing that Lamar Freshman Kylie Harrison has always been, and that’s a cheerleader.
“She is the head cheerleader,” said Lamar cheer coach Laurie Cowling.
Kylie has been cheering since the third grade and says she has no intention of stopping anytime soon.
“I’ve always had passion for it, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do so that’s why I’ve stuck with it,” Kylie said.
“She got the opportunity to do peewee cheer, she took it and she loves it," Kylie's mom Amanda Harrison said. "She practiced all summer long and did the competition, they got second place and she’s loved it ever since.”
Cheer hasn’t always been easy for Kylie, at 15-months-old she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
“We knew she was different, she couldn’t crawl, she didn’t walk, but to find out she had a bleed on her brain that we didn’t know about shocked us,” Amanda said.
Kylie is 14 now and Cerebral Palsy hasn’t stopped her from pursuing her passion.
“It’s definitely brought a bunch of challenges, there’s definitely a bunch of doubts and stuff, but I always continue to push through no matter what people say,” she said.
That determination and dedication have paid off, Kylie is now the head cheerleader of the Warriors.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time, and she’s probably the best captain I’ve ever had,” Cowling said.
The advice that Kylie has for chasing your dreams despite any bumps in the road is, “I try and stay positive no matter the situation, in life or in the games.”