Jul 15, 2020
RICH CELENZA talks with his cousin LUKE SCHUSTER who is a Texas Tech Graduate who received a scholarship and became a National Collegiate Competitive Cheerleader. He went on to get a degree in the National Academy Of Sports Medicine and is also a Certified Orange theory Fitness Trainer.
Rich gets into how Luke was originally an athlete who played many different style sports that included baseball, basketball, wrestling, and gymnastics, But while in high school, he tried cheerleading and started to excel very quickly. He eventually went onto getting a scholarship at Texas Tech University. Rich talks about Rich having a similar past as Luke and how he also played many sports including gymnastics and wrestling.
Luke explains that in high school he joined a club called "All Star Cheer”, and how that helped him excel and take his cheerleading skills to the next level. Luke talks bout how hard it is to get a scholarship and that there's not always a lot of scholarships when it comes to cheerleading. Luke talks about him only being 5’ 1” and a 130 pounds meant he had to be much more technical and explosive when catching and launching the cheerleaders.
Luke discusses how injuries are the norm in the sport of cheerleading. Through the year’s has accumulated his share of concussions, multiple elbows, and feet to the face. Luke also dealt with his only personal injuries throughout the year;s which included ankle and back issues.
They talk about the Netflix series “Cheer” in where they show what life is truly like at the collegiate level. Luke explains the trust he builds with fellow cheerleaders and stunt partners. They discuss how different it is to play competitive sports with women instead of only just playing against men.
The two also talk about how Luke decided to transition from being a cheerleader to a coach/trailer. Luke first started off as a sales associate at Orange Theory and then went and got his training certification to be a trainer. Luke gives you a breakdown on how Orange Theory classes and how they are a “HIT” workout which is a High-Intensity Workout.