Today we’d like to introduce you to Hailey Smith
Hi Hailey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I did not cheer for any all star gyms. My mom said I did a tiny tot team at my gymnastics gym at convo valley gymnastics for a single year. It was never something that went to NCA or worlds or anything like that. It was called Concho valley cats or something. They never had a serious all star program though so I only did gymnastics from 2-18 years old. I wish my city had of had one because I would have loved it! Just to clarify very carefully what I meant was that I didn’t grow up doing all star cheer like the other tvcc or Navarro people. The TVCC cheerleaders and coaches and athletes of this sport consider me a newbie bc I never did all star in the sense that all of the others grew up doing. That’s also been something I’ve struggled in greatly is getting the respect of being an elite cheerleader with so little cheer experience. I had to work 5x as hard as everyone around me to be taken seriously by my coaches and teammates and make it to Team USA. It’s definitely been a struggle. Vontae and Monica found me while I was at a gymnastics competition in Dallas where I attended a college combine. I was actually not interested at all originally because in gymnastics we r taught that cheer is the “lesser” of the two. I had no idea until my first visit at Navarro that cheer was absolutely insane and it was exactly what I wanted to be a part of. I knew it was still on the come up and i wanted to be a part of the generation that makes it to the first Olympic team for cheer. I wish I had done all star though. It looks so fun and I do it now just for worlds when level 7 teams need a fill in. I hopped on Claw at cheer athletics for NCA back in 2022 and won with them. I wish i grew up in that environment but I don’t think I’d be the athlete I am today without my gymnastics background. I signed to Trinity Valley, signed to Weber State, got selected to be on TEAM USA, and got selected for the Utah Jazz NBA cheer team. As of today I am now one of the most decorated cheerleaders of all time. I am a 2x World Cup partner stunt champion, a NCA national partner stunt champion, a world champion with TEAM USA, a FISU world champion, a D1 grand collegiate national champion, a 9x all American, the 21’ Texas Cheerleader of the year, and more. I have made it my goal to be a role model internationally for the cheer community. I have been a part of the movement that will hopefully get the first generation of cheerleading into the Olympics by using my gymnastics background to help make a scoresheet that the IOC can use to has us compete as a sport. I also coach world wide to help spread cheerleading across the globe and grow our sport internationally. Through this and creating 10 worlds first partner stunting skills, I have amassed over 400,000 followers across my platforms where I can guide my followers into becoming their best self.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I definitely went through some trials and tribulations growing up. My dad wasn’t in my life for 11 years. I only did gymnastics and learned determination through that sport never coming easy to me. The dedication, determination, and discipline I’ve picked up in gymnastics only competing against myself has significantly helped me in cheer and helped me grow to the highest level in 2 short years.
I also was going down a very bad path my junior year of high school around the time I got recruited by Navarro and tvcc. I was making decisions that luckily I had a mom who cared abt me enough to distance me from ppl I was surrounding myself with. She saved my entire path and helped me see the bigger picture and realize that there r certain decisions u make as a kid that can affect ur future. I will say I have many many detrimental injuries. I broke every bone in my body literally from gymnastics including a grade 3 concussion and fractured neck and back. That significantly set me back in my gymnastics journey. I was out of school for 3 months due to memory loss and wasn’t able to return to sports for 6 months.
I believe I would’ve made it to the professional level in gymnastics as I was training for the junior Olympics. But by the time ur 15 in gymnastics if ur not on the national team ur more than likely not going. So it really closed a door and opened a new one to me. I had no idea at the time I’d fall in love with partner stunting and get to represent my country in a different sport. I initially lost literally every college nationals and partner stunt competition that I competed in for the first 2 years of my career. This taught me the length I was willing to go in order to achieve my goals. In cheerleading I had many injuries as well that I did not let stop me. I injured my neck at practice and had to go to the hospital in an ambulance. This herniated 4 discs in my neck and I still went to USA training 5 days later. I’m extremely determined and will stop at nothing in order to achieve my goals.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am most proud of hitting no deduction routines all year this past year. I hit and won 3 partner stunt competitions in the same year, 2 world championships for team USA, and all 3 days for collegiate national chanpions. I came off seasons of having no confidence in myself due to never having won to having my coaches and teammates help build myself up and accomplish everything I was able to this year. I love to coach and teach competitive greatness and help athletes all over the world become the best version of themselves on and off the mat. I specialize in all things flying and can teach any skill imaginable in partner stunting. I have 10 worlds first partner stunting skills that have helped revolutionize cheerleading and helped get me the notoriety I have today. I also have become an influencer on social media promoting many clothing brands and healthcare brands that align with my values!
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Dedication, determination, and discipline. You cannot have one without all 3. I’d also say being extremely structured. Many people have goals and dreams but have no plan on the steps to take to get there. I have always been very goal oriented and disciplined when it comes to prioritizing every single day my goals and giving myself no reason to doubt my performance when the time comes.
Pricing:
- $120/ hour for partner stunting lessons
- $100/ hour for tumbling lessons
- $100/ post on feed
- $75/ post on story
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hailey_dlynn/profilecard/?igsh=aDJpZnhnaGM0Nmw1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haileydlynnsmith?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hailey_dlynn?si=Crj5br5AnX1UGmc2
