By Chris Cox

Elk City sophomore Peyton Silas loves cheer and has been cheering since she was old enough to.

“I have been cheering since I was five years old and really fell in love it with,” she says. “I was influenced to start cheering after watching cheerleaders on tv. I knew I wanted to do that someday.”

As a cheerleader for the better part of 10 years, Peyton has to keep herself motivated and, because of that, sets a high bar for herself and her teammates.

“I stay motivated by setting high standards for myself,” she admits. “I like to see growth and I can do that by reaching my goals. I also like to watch others grow and achieve their goals because that helps me to understand that I can do anything I set my mind to.”

Some of those goals she hopes to achieve this year include seeing her team improve as a cheer quad and she hopes to start catching the eye of colleges.

“My goals for myself this season are to learn new skills and get recognized by colleges,” she says. “I want the opportunity to further my cheer career in college and continue to do what I love.”

Peyton considers herself lucky because of the amount of support she has.

“I would say my biggest supporters are my parents, teammates, and coaches,” she says. “They all push me to reach my goals and I couldn’t have done this without their support. I would also like to say a big thanks to my bases that lift me and keep me safe while in the air. It take a lot of trust to know that someone will catch you when you fall.”

Outside of cheer, Peyton is a coach at Aerial Bound Athletics. She also loves to be in the gym and get stronger. When she is not working out, Peyton hangs out with her friends and participates in several school clubs. After high school, Peyton plans to attend college, hopefully on a cheer scholarship, and study something in the medical field.