Pom Duo - A World Games First

For the first time, Cheerleading will be represented at The World Games alongside other debut sports, Para Dance and Powerboating – and Australia is on the program.

Melbourne duo Emily Growdon and Shayla Myerscough will be the first Australians to compete at the World Games under the discipline of Cheerleading, for Pom Doubles, in Chengdu, China, 2025. From Pacific Elite Dance, the duo has seen international success, earning Bronze at the 2024 ICU Cheerleading World Cup in Seoul, Korea, and Gold at the 2024 AASCF National Championships in Queensland.

Emily and Shayla are one of just 11 couples who qualified for the 2025 World Games.

“Since the very first edition in Santa Clara, USA, in 1981, The World Games have become the second-most important global multi-sport event in the world. The World Games is a multi-sport event for sports and disciplines that are not in the programme of the Olympic Games. The World Games is the international showcase that positions the world's best athletes, the host city and the partners and sponsors at the heart of world sport.” – The World Games

Previously, in October 2024, Monash University Duo Isabelle Grigoriants and Emma Ryan competed for Australia at the inaugural leg of The World Games Series in Hong Kong, a qualifier for the 2025 World Games in Chengdu. The duo came home with Silver, earning a spot in Australian Cheerleading history, debuting the sport on the World Games stage.