Anyone who thinks cheerleading involves shaking a couple of fluffy pom-poms and doing a few high kicks should think again: it is an incredibly energetic sport involving great flair, energy and an ability not to fall flat on your face!
Just look at this video from the US. It shows 16-year-old Marie Klein bouncing herself into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most back handsprings. Forty of them! Do not attempt on a full stomach.
The Walsh Jesuit High School junior fromCuyahoga Falls, Ohio, beat the previous record of 36 set last year.
Marie said she found out about the record from another teammate who encouraged her to beat it.
So last December Marie started training to beat the record, completing 20 back handsprings at every basketball game, across the length of the court.
Last month, before Walsh Jesuit's sold-out game against St Vincent-St Mary high school, Marie took to the field for her chance to break the record.
The crowd cheered Marie on as she performed 40 straight back handsprings, going more than half the field to the opposing 35-yard line for a total of 65 yards of back handsprings.
A Guinness World Record official was on site to verify the record, and says that Marie did indeed beat the prior record of 36.
Marie has been cheerleading since she was 10 years old, and is now setting her sights on beating her record.
"It was crazy," Marie told the