By Derrick Smith

Throughout most people’s lives, they have someone that becomes part of their life at some point that has an influence on them. Elle Dudgeon says that she has a few people in her life that have helped her become the person and the athlete that she is today.
“My parents and Kaitlynn Vollmer have all been role models for me to look up to,” she said. “All push me to do better and not to be so hard on myself. They continue to show me that hard work does pay off but if you break yourself down over and over again you’re gonna end up hurting yourself more than you are helping yourself. My parents never let me be mediocre and Kaitlynn Vollmer is an Oklahoma State University cheerleader, she has helped me for the three years I’ve been at the high school.”

Elle is a senior at Stillwater High School where she is a flyer on the cheer team. She has been cheerleading for twelve years and says it is something that she loves.  Dudgeon says that the success that she has enjoyed over her career has taken a lot of work but it has been worth it. 

“Becoming the cheerleader I am today has taken a lot of work and time,” she said.” Being in the cheer gym almost every day in the summer. Also traveling an hour and a half to Moore to be on one of the best teams that is available to me in Oklahoma. Training, whenever I have the opportunity, is also important.”

Everything does not always go the way we want it to. That goes for sports and for life in general. Elle says that her favorite moment during her career so far happened last season. 

“One of my favorite moments that’s been drilled into my mind was our last stunt match this past year for SHS,” she recalled. “Everyone was so driven with passion, everyone felt so close and everyone wanted to win. Sadly, we lost and I bawled my eyes out, but everyone tried their best and it made it all worth it.”