Grayson Pickett seems to have been born for cheerleading, as if she entered the world already tumbling and flipping. 

The nine-year-old athlete, who attends Eli Pinney Elementary, began her cheer journey with gymnastics at Integrity Athletics at just two years old. In the summer after first grade, she attended her first Dublin Jerome High School cheer camp and immediately knew she had found her sport. Grayson started with Upward, cheering on the sidelines for her friends’ basketball teams, before advancing to competitive cheer at Cheer Combine. Last year, she competed with the Youth Celts, and this season she is a member of the Cheer Combine Black Jacks team.

Although she was born with a natural gift, Grayson credits much of her growth and success to the mentors and coaches who have guided her along the way. She feels especially fortunate to have learned from the Dublin Jerome cheerleaders and from her coaches at Cheer Combine, particularly Coaches Sam, Taylor and Jordan. Everyone at the facility has been generous with their guidance, offering feedback and support to help Grayson improve, even when she isn’t training with them directly.

Grayson takes every piece of feedback to heart, and it shows in her performance. In just two years of competitive cheer, her teams have claimed first place in their division at every competition. Most recently, her team was named High Point Grand Champions, outshining every competitor at their level. 

As a young athlete, Grayson eagerly seizes every opportunity to grow. In addition to regularly attending Dublin Jerome’s summer cheer camp, she also took part in cheer camp at Ohio State University, where she learned routines from the OSU cheer team, practiced co-ed stunts with the boys, and even met Brutus Buckeye. Grayson can often be found traveling and competing all over Ohio. 

Grayson’s dedication to her sport is evident in her commitment, often spending four to five days a week at the gym, balancing practices with extra tumbling and stunting classes. Even when summer slows things down, she stays active and disciplined by swimming with the Muirfins, entering her fifth year on the team this season. Though her favorite stroke is butterfly, Grayson frequently swims all four strokes in meets. 

What keeps Grayson committed to cheer is the many rewards it brings her. She enjoys mastering challenging skills and perfecting them, and she takes pride in seeing routines successfully come together through the entire team’s hard work. Beyond the sport itself, Grayson cherishes the natural friendships she has built with her teammates, formed through encouragement, teamwork, and shared experiences. Her passion for cheer continues to grow, with aspirations to move up through Combine’s all-star teams and one day cheer for Dublin Jerome.