By Derrick Smith

There are different things in life that motivate us. A lot of it may depend on what we do for a living. High school athletes, like Mackenzie Shackelford, are motivated by things that will help them become better at their sport. 

“The one thing that motivates me the most is knowing that I have room for improvement,” she said. “If I find a way that will lead to me being more successful in my sports, I will work towards it.”

Mackenzie is a senior at Pawnee High School, where she is an active member of the student body. She is a member of the football cheer team, competition cheer team, wrestling cheer team, track, and powerlifting. Away from sports, she is also a member of the Beta Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Speech.

As someone that is heavily involved in cheer, it is no surprise that Shackelford says that cheerleaders have had the biggest influence on her. 

“A group that I really look up to are the Oklahoma State University cheerleaders,” she said. “They have worked so hard to make it to where they are. And they do such a great job. For me to be where I am today, I have put in a lot of hard work and stayed committed to my teammates and what we need to do to be successful.”

For Shackelford and her fellow cheer teammates, there is one school that they enjoy beating more than any other. And that would be their rival, Hominy.

“Our entire school was ecstatic when we beat Hominy on homecoming,” she said. “It was such a great feeling to see the whole school and community celebrate together.”

When she is not practicing for her sports, Mackenzie likes to catch up on her social media. She says that there is one celebrity that she loves to follow the most. 

“Leonardo Dicaprio is my favorite person to follow,” she said. “He is always spreading awareness on Instagram and it is very good to be reminded of some of the things happening in this world.”