SPRINGFIELD — Haley Gaines, Drury University student, and cheerleader, knew that she would make history. When she stepped out onto the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA) Nationals competition floor, she felt history being made. She said, “I knew I was doing something the judges don’t see every day and was proud I was living out little Haley’s dreams.”

When Haley was a child, cheering on a college team seemed lightyears away. She is from the small town of Monett, MO, and her life had been boringly ordinary until she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and leukoencephalopathy with a bilateral anterior temporal lobe cyst at a young age. Cerebral Palsy is impaired muscle coordination typically caused by damage to the brain before or at birth. The temporal lobe cysts are a rare condition that creates holes in the brain and makes it very difficult to have fine motor skills. The two of these diagnoses stacked on top of each other created a massive obstacle for Haley to overcome. She had to undergo every treatment in the book, physical therapy, steroid shots, botox, casts, and various neuro and spinal surgeries.

Regardless of her diagnosis, Haley knew she wanted to do great things and impact the world. After high school, she reached out to the Drury University Cheerleading coach Ashley Parnell and asked if she could manage the team.

Coach Parnell said, “Haley… if you want to cheer, you can cheer.”

Parnell explained that Haley would be the first athlete with Cerebral Palsy to be a part of the Drury University cheerleading program and would be an inspiration to everyone. Haley never thought she would get the chance to cheer on a college team, but now she was and planned on breaking all of the stereotypes about those with disabilities in college athletics. 

Despite already overcoming so much, Haley’s journey had just begun. A week before nationals, she tested positive for COVID-19 and had to quarantine. These circumstances meant she would be missing two weeks of practices leading up to nationals. These practices are some of the most vital for a solid routine because the team is no longer building endurance for the routine but instead cleaning it and making it look effortless. Haley felt that she was letting the team down because she could not attend practices. She practiced in her dorm, recorded herself, and sent videos to the coaches to get critiques on her motions throughout the routine.

Not only was she set back because she had to miss practices, she got released from quarantine the day that Drury cheer left for Florida.

Fellow teammate Molly Perkins says, “She was impressed with Haley, and her ability to overcome despite the many obstacles she has faced.”

On the bus, she wore a mask and was still recovering from the illness at the competition in Florida. 

Competition day had arrived, and Haley felt that the world’s weight was on her shoulders. She had never been this nervous. Not only was she representing Drury University, but she was also representing the disabled community. Haley tried to keep her nerves contained all morning, but it was difficult to keep tears from her eyes.

It did not help that the coaches decided it would be best if she were wheeled in a wheelchair across the competition grounds because of her unusual circumstances. They reasoned that she should focus her energy on the competition and not the miles walked before it. Haley did not like riding in the wheelchair because she felt like a burden to the team and Coach Cody, who pushed her around. However, she understood that she needed to conserve her energy for the competition. 

It all became real in the tunnel right before she competed. She was about to compete on the UCA stage. Her teammate Brooke Riley pulled her to the side and told her, “Everything will be okay. Go out there and have fun! You are about to make history!”

Haley says that everything she was worried about slipped away when she stepped onto the mat. First was the fight song, and she was proud to be representing Drury University. Next was the sideline, and she usually was tired here, but nothing could damper this feeling. When the music for the timeout came over the loudspeaker, Haley was overcome with joy. Everything she had gone through to become a college cheerleader was finally paying off. 

After competing, Haley came up to her fellow teammate, Mikayla Yarbough, and said, “I am proud of how far I have come and the unprecedented history I have made. I am living with cerebral palsy. I am a Drury cheerleader. I will do great things!”