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It started with a bang and six years down the track Mount Gambier’s Purple Thunder Cheerleading continues to build momentum and earn the accolades.

When most of us think cheerleading, we think of American high school and college movies, but it is a sport not only gaining momentum in Australia but has previously been earmarked as a provisional Olympic event.

Josie Flanagan brought the cheerleading revolution to Mount Gambier when she returned to the region six years ago and despite only introducing the sport to local in February 2017, by July, the Purple Thunder squad finished with a first and a second placing at their first competition – the Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation (AASCF) Winterfest.

The Purple Thunder squads have recently returned from that same Winterfest competition with two third placings and a second across their three teams.

When Josie first set up Purple Thunder, they called the Blue Lake Gymnastics Club facility at Malseed Park home and have recently moved to the Keegan Street home of the Swim Skool, MJ Dance Studio and Phoenix Music Studio.

Josie and Suzanne Flanagan run the popular cheerleading program, bringing more than a decade of experience from Adelaide when they relocated in 2017.

“It was only natural to continue coaching and start Purple Thunder,” Suzanne said.

Both Josie and Suzanne’s resumes are impressive. Josie started coaching gymnastics more than 25 years ago which then led her into coaching cheerleading.

Her daughter Suzanne starting cheerleading when she was five and competed up until she was 20 and has been coaching for more than six years, with both also boasting further qualifications in the fitness industry.

Establishing Purple Thunder Cheerleading has been a success by any measure, whether you value the competition results, the growth in numbers participating or the smiles on faces at the multiple sessions on offer each week.

“Our teams have had lots of success over the years at competitions and some of our favourite highlights include