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🇨🇦 Team Canada 2025 Athlete: Jacob Lagimonière (S3.33)
- janie724
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Episode of April 29, 2026
Some athletes spend a decade building their reputation in the world of cheerleading. Others manage to make their mark on the sport in just a few seasons.
This is exactly the case of Jacob Lagimonière, an athlete with Team Canada Coed Premier, who went from a background in gymnastics to a place among the best cheerleading athletes in the country in just four years.
In this episode of the Kick's Cheer Podcast, Jacob opens the doors to a reality that many athletes and parents know little about: that of the Team Canada program, its demands, its sacrifices and the emotions that accompany representing one's country on the world stage.
🤸 From gymnastics to cheerleading
Before discovering cheerleading, Jacob was already competing at a high level in gymnastics.
His journey began when a group of friends asked him to come and help out on a cheerleading team. Like many gymnasts before him, he admits to having held certain prejudices towards the sport.
Everything changed during his first practice.
The team atmosphere, the energy of the stunts, the projections and the collective spirit quickly made him realize that he had just discovered something completely different from what he knew in gymnastics.
This first experience was the beginning of an adventure that would take him much further than he could have imagined.
🇨🇦 Discovering Team Canada… without even knowing it existed
When his university coaches suggested he try out for Team Canada, Jacob knew virtually nothing about the program.
He knew neither the categories, nor the coaches, nor even the athletes who made up the national teams.
His initial reaction?
To think that he had no chance.
He even recounts sending his application at the last minute (even late), almost as a form of self-sabotage to protect himself from a possible rejection.
A few weeks later, however, he received an invitation to participate in a preparatory camp.
The rest is history.
✈️ The reality behind Team Canada Cheerleading
When we look at the performances of national teams, we often see the end product.
What is less visible are the hundreds of hours invested behind the scenes.
According to Jacob, a full season with Team Canada represents approximately:
$3,500 registration fee
Multiple plane tickets across Canada
Accommodation
Car rental
Food
Training camps
Travel to the ICU World Championships
In total, he estimates that a full season represents about $6,000 of personal investment, not including the costs related to his All-Star team.
This reality demonstrates the level of commitment required to wear the Canadian uniform.
🏟️ The ICU World Championships: an experience impossible to describe
For many athletes, participating in the ICU Worlds represents the pinnacle of a career.
For Jacob, the first experience was a shock.
Going from regional competitions to an arena filled with thousands of spectators, with fans from all over the world, is an experience like no other.
Despite all possible mental preparation, he explains that nothing can truly prepare an athlete to feel that surge of energy when Canada steps onto the mat.
And even after several appearances, one thing has not changed: the emotion.
According to him, each time he steps off the mat, he is still accompanied by tears, pride, and an indescribable feeling.
💪 The importance of mental preparation
During the conversation, Jacob brings up an often underestimated topic: mental preparation.
He explains that an athlete must be able to recognize their mistakes without constantly looking for excuses.
For him, progress depends on the ability to honestly analyze one's performance.
When a move is missed or an error occurs in competition, he believes it is essential to take responsibility, learn, and come back stronger.
This mentality allowed him to progress rapidly in an extremely competitive environment.
🌎 Proud to represent Quebec and Canada
Beyond the medals, Jacob explains that one of his greatest joys remains the impact he can have on young athletes.
The moments that mark him the most are not necessarily those experienced on the mat.
These are the meetings after the competitions.
The young people who come to ask for a photo.
The athletes who tell him they stayed to watch him perform.
Parents who tell him about the inspiration he represents for their children.
For him, these moments are worth as much as the podiums.
💙 Jacob's quote
"Only those who dare to go too far will discover how far it is possible to go."
A sentence that perfectly sums up his career.
In just four years, Jacob Lagimonière went from an athlete who was just discovering cheerleading to a representative of Canada on the biggest global stage of his sport.
Proof that with audacity, hard work and perseverance, the limits are often much further than we think.
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