"As far as I know, almost no one has gone from last place in high school Division B to world cup champion."
Competitive cheerleading has become a popular club and school team at many high schools and universities in recent years, and is one of the hottest sports on campus. Lai Hong-ting (nicknamed Bald Eagle) started with the cheerleading club at Yongchun High School and has been involved ever since—now in his 12th year. This year marks the ninth year I've known him, and the day of this interview was the first time in all these years that we met somewhere other than on the "blue mat."
"Born to Cheer" is the most impressive thing about Bald Eagle and was my first impression of him. That ordinary morning, he showed up in sweatpants and cheerleading practice gear, with a large "Determined to Win the Championship" printed across his T-shirt. That determination was etched into his very being. These cheerleading elements have become genuinely integrated into his everyday life.
"You have to work incredibly hard to make it look effortless." Lai Hong-ting, a member of the Monster Black team, first place in the University Division B, five-time consecutive selection as a Chinese Taipei tumbling team member at the World Cup, defeated the American "Dream Team" in 2015 to win the championship, returned to Taiwan in glory, and received two National Sports Award medals. These seemingly brilliant achievements were never created from nothing.
▲ Bald Eagle was selected as a tumbling team member for the World Cup five times.
"Everyone says I have talent, but when it comes to tumbling, I completely lack it."
As a student in Fu Jen Catholic University's Department of Physical Education, Bald Eagle watched the constant flow of people in the department building, all wearing Chinese Taipei uniforms, which sparked his desire to become a national athlete. So he began his closed-door training to build himself up. From August 2010 to April 2011—roughly one academic year—he withdrew from his school's cheerleading club and reduced his frequency of practicing techniques at Monster.
The reason was that he wanted to focus on perfecting his "tumbling." Every Wednesday after that, he practiced regularly at Tongli Gymnastics and at Normal University. He also devoted two afternoons each week to training with the gymnastics team at National Taiwan University of Sport, following a strict schedule, starting from basic movements with solid, foundational practice.
"I'm someone who's terrified of flipping, especially backward flip series." Bald Eagle, already a national athlete, revealed his deepest fear. "When no one's watching, I hesitate for a long time." He attributed his lack of confidence to a traumatic experience the day before his high school performance, when a backflip threw him off balance and he hit his face. Even when practicing, stepping onto the edge of the "foam pit" would terrify him. Sometimes before attempting a move, he would overthink it—but overthinking is precisely what tumbling demands against.
▲ Practice after practice, overcoming the tumbling trauma (video embedded from Lin Yu-zheng's YouTube)
"A lot of athletes have strong comprehension skills. Once a coach explains something, they can execute the move perfectly," Bald Eagle said, admitting he sometimes felt "really discouraged." For him, advancing from level A to level B requires understanding the precise details and methods. He had to repeatedly practice, building confidence through both psychological and physical adjustments before executing the correct movement.
But even after giving himself time to hone his fundamentals, when his closed-door training ended, Bald Eagle still hadn't mastered "twisting." Yet his training partners who started alongside him had all progressed to twisting. He simply couldn't make the rotation work. "Maybe I'm just not cut out for tumbling"—this self-doubt began to spread through his mind.
However, despite this setback, he didn't give up practicing. He continued to strengthen himself, and suddenly one day, he did it. Because "success never comes instantly; it comes from daily small improvements accumulated over time." After returning to Monster, the first time he performed a twist on the blue mat was when he flew to Thailand for an international competition.
Recalling this period, Bald Eagle mentioned that there was no spring floor, but his warm-up routine went well. Though his body came apart slightly during the actual competition, causing a bit of panic and worry that his tumbling sensation and confidence would disappear, after returning home, he made rapid progress. Whether practicing on the spring floor or competing, he could execute the moves flawlessly.
Within just two months, he developed higher-difficulty tumbling moves including front twists with a full, straight body layout to back handspring, and straight 180s. "Once you break through one barrier, everything else falls into place. But before that, you really have to practice for a very, very long time," he reflected. This persistent spirit eventually led to his selection as a member of the Chinese Taipei tumbling team.
From Last Place in High School Division B to World Champion—But First, You Must Endure Hesitation, Doubt, the Urge to Quit, and Then Resolve.
▲ 2015 Chinese Taipei Cheerleading World Championship video.
"Honestly, the first time I was selected, I just felt like my dream had come true." Bald Eagle, who competed in five consecutive World Cups, said that finally stepping foot in the United States, finally seeing the Top Gun training facility, was enough to satisfy him. He felt like he was floating, struggling with severe jet lag, and everything felt fresh and new. In that competition, his team dropped one combination, placing third. Back home, when people asked if he'd continue competing the next year, he wasn't sure. He only said flatly, "Maybe."
In the year leading up to the second World Cup (2013), when official athlete selection was underway, a close friend asked him, "What's the point of continuing to practice like this?" He agreed at the time. Though he made the selection, he was in a semi-surrendered state, his mindset gradually loosening. It wasn't until competition day, when he returned to the World Cup opening ceremony and stepped back on the blue mat, that he woke up. "This is my favorite place. Why would I want to quit? How could I even think about quitting? Am I crazy?" After returning home, he made up his mind: he'd compete again next year. "I'll keep competing until I can't make the team!"
However, at that time, his mentality only involved wanting to "try hard" to compete, with no thought of winning the championship. But then a senior who had competed in the first World Cup and won the championship asked a simple but profound question: "Are you here to perform one World Cup routine, or are you here to win the championship?" It awakened something in him. "How is it possible? Defeating the American team—the Americans who win every year? That's too hard, right?" Though everyone lacked confidence at the time, after thinking it through carefully, they realized the competition format was actually quite fair. Even though the American team was incredibly strong, every other team still had a chance to get closer and closer to them.
Regarding 2015 and why they could defeat the American team, Bald Eagle explained that half the credit went to the coach's strategy, which was excellent. The team performed seven Rewind Q's (a difficult move shown at the one-minute mark of the competition video). During practice, they constantly calculated "success rates"—not just the team's numbers, but individual success rates too. If someone failed too many times, the coach would pull them aside for a review and push them to work harder. The goal was to prevent any dropped skills and maintain their score.
"This year, I really, really want to sing the national anthem on that stage," Bald Eagle said before the competition. Combined with the fact that the athletes competing that year were all quite skilled, the team's mindset and pre-competition preparation were more than sufficient. Though they dropped the pyramid and some minor skills—they didn't achieve "all clean"—they ultimately won the world championship.
"Champion is Chinese Taipei!" When the World Cup stage announced the champion, Bald Eagle bounced up with tears flowing uncontrollably. Teammates screamed wildly, crying and hugging each other, because their dream had actually, truly come true. "We had never stood in the center before." Watching the Olympic flag rise on screen and hearing the "National Anthem," everyone forgot how to sing, but they couldn't stop screaming. Recalling this process, it was "truly exhilarating." Even two years later, that triumphant moment remained unforgettable.
After returning home, they were surrounded by spotlights. Interview requests poured in from all directions. Special programs came to interview them. Performances lined up endlessly. They received awards with great fanfare. Some envied him for winning top-three finishes at the World Cup and receiving substantial prize money. But for athletes, the "National Sports Award Medal" was actually the more significant achievement.
▲ Bald Eagle is a member of the Monster cheerleading team.
"I completely created this path myself. There was no reference model to follow."
Ten years ago, Bald Eagle never imagined he'd reach this point. At first, it was just for fun. In the middle, he even considered pursuing other directions. But he used the word "fate" to sum up these ten years, believing he was fortunate: "Everything arrived not late, but exactly right." Looking at the athletes around him, many were selected for the World Cup in their first or second year of university and became national athletes. But he wasn't selected until his fourth year and continued competing through his master's degree. Moreover, he didn't come from a specialized training background starting in high school. This path was "completely something I carved out for myself, with no reference model to follow."
But this "self-carved path" didn't initially have his parents' support. Bald Eagle said his parents opposed it all the way. In pursuit of cheerleading, he suffered back injuries and neglected his studies. Moreover, after university practice ended, he wouldn't get home until after 11 PM. Weekends were spent at the practice facility. His family couldn't understand what cheerleading could possibly lead to or why club participation was so important. His mother even asked him: "When are you finally going to stop practicing?"
Bald Eagle initially adopted an attitude of "there's no point explaining to them since they won't understand anyway" and was unwilling to communicate with his parents. But then he had a change of heart: "Because they don't understand, they oppose. So if I help them understand, that becomes my responsibility. It was also the first time I discussed my life plans with them." He was a junior at the time. He told his parents about his future vision—he wanted to pursue teaching credentials so that beyond his athletic career, he'd have other options. He wanted to make the World Cup team and bring honor to his country. In the following years, all of these came true.
"The most regrettable thing in my cheerleading career is not meeting someone who would constantly push me forward. When I was young and arrogant, I missed some opportunities with seniors and coaches."
Bald Eagle later became a coach for the Yuci High Vocational School cheerleading team, transitioning from athlete to coach. He believes that a coach must make the best decisions within limited time. He must understand his athletes' abilities and can't set difficulty levels too high. Goals must be clear and achievable. Therefore, how to balance training is crucial.
Over the past ten years, he's seen many athletes drop out midway, which he finds unfortunate. Bald Eagle categorizes cheerleading athletes into three types: "talented and hardworking," "talented but lazy," and "average talent but very hardworking." The first type is extremely rare. The second type is quite common—they shine briefly and then disappear, which he finds regrettable. Those who actually make it to the highest levels, who step onto the World Cup stage or achieve a certain standard, are typically the third type. This categorization applies not just to cheerleading but across all fields.
When his students reach their third year of high school, he has them write down their career plans on a blank piece of A4 paper. Whether or not they continue cheerleading in the future, as long as they have clear goals, it's fine. But if they want to continue on the cheerleading path, even if they're no longer on his team, he'll do everything he can to guide them back on track.
Because he didn't have such guidance himself, he vowed to become a reliable senior or coach. "Whenever you have troubles or your state of mind isn't good, I'll take the initiative to care about you." He tries every way to open students' hearts and redirect their focus to cheerleading.
One particular student left the deepest impression. After being selected as a sports-scholarship student, financial difficulties forced her to work night shifts frequently. The money she earned barely covered living expenses. Overworking left her in poor mental condition, and she neglected the cheerleading she loved.
"Then I just won't study!" the student responded to him. "But what about the promise you made to yourself back then?" Bald Eagle tried to reconnect her with her original passion. He checked on her daily and had her teammates watch over her, asking her to think about what was truly best for her and what mattered most. Eventually, her condition improved. She learned to prioritize and manage her own time.
Changing Profile Picture to an Embarrassing "Face-Plant Photo"—Because "People Must Learn to Mock Themselves"
▲ Changing the profile picture to an embarrassing photo for self-mockery and self-improvement.
Actually, my impression of Bald Eagle dates back to his first year when he had quite a "fiery" temper. At the time, the combinations performed by the university team weren't particularly difficult for those of us who had practiced cheerleading in high school, but for newly joined members, they naturally needed more time to practice and understand. As a Taurus, he once said, "This is a move I was doing in ninth grade. Why can't the older members do it well?"
He didn't say they couldn't do it—he said they "couldn't do it well." From this alone, you could see how demanding Bald Eagle was about every single move. He described himself as a very disciplined person. Before every practice, he'd plan what to work on. When he arrived, he wouldn't just lounge by the mat. Instead, he'd actively step forward to spot others.
So when he made mistakes or had flaws during a routine, of course he wouldn't let himself off easily. "I think people need to learn self-mockery," he said. So for a while, he changed his Facebook profile picture to an embarrassing photo of himself tumbling and falling flat on his face. "Because I felt it was shameful, so I wanted to remind myself." Where you fall, that's where you stand back up. Bald Eagle believes this self-mockery approach forced him to face the issue, let it go, and then improve. Knowing his own shortcomings, his teammates could take it in stride, and he felt more at peace with himself.
In his 12-year journey with cheerleading, the most important thing Bald Eagle learned was "self-reflection," because many people only criticize others and never criticize themselves. Through psychological preparation before each practice and self-reflection when moves didn't execute correctly, he came to understand himself better. Now he occasionally writes articles about tumbling techniques on sports forums, hoping to help people who want to enter the tumbling field.
【Bald Eagle's Column Articles】
Standing Full Is Not Impossible—Understand It and Master It!
Standing Full: Even Little Sisters Can Do It
Lai Hong-ting (Bald Eagle) Born 1990
Competitive cheerleading athlete for 12 years (2005–2017) 2015 World Cheerleading Championship Gold Medal 2012–2016 World Cup Cheerleading Championship Chinese Taipei National Team Member CTCA (Republic of China Competitive Cheerleading Association) Technical Coach & Staff Fu Jen Catholic University Competitive Cheerleading Group A Coach Yuci High Vocational School Competitive Cheerleading Coach MONSTER Competitive Cheerleading Team Member Fu Jen Catholic University Master's Degree in Physical Education
