Scarlett Walden aims for Youth Athlete of the Year

LONGVIEW, Texas — An East Texas athlete is tumbling her way toward national recognition, not just with raw talent but with a dream that could shine a light on both her sport and her hometown.

At just 11 years old, Gilmer’s Scarlett Walden is vying for Sports Illustrated’s Youth Athlete of the Year, hoping to represent Buckeye Nation and shine a spotlight on cheerleading nationwide.

“I like to dance, I do competitive dance and of course, cheer and I do coed stunting,” she said.

She has earned a spot among the top contenders in a competition typically filled with other athletes.

“There are very few cheerleaders that enter the competition,” she said. “It’s mostly like football players, baseball players,” Scarlett said.

Scarlett is now in third place after jumping more than 40 spots in just a few hours. She is one of the only cheerleaders in the running and is proud to represent an often overlooked sport.

“I just really wanted to represent my sport because it’s very underrated,” she said. “People always argue whether cheer is a sport or not, and it’s very controversial.”

Her mother, Whitley, agrees and says the time and effort her daughter puts into training rivals any other youth sport.

“It’s overlooked a lot,” Whitley said.. “She works very hard. There’s a lot of cheer moms out there and cheer dads, and they know how much time and effort these girls and boys both put in the gym.”

Scarlett trains at two gyms and says the physical demands are nonstop.

“Many cheerleaders like me condition and condition and condition till we’re sick or sore,” Scarlett said.

The Sports Illustrated honor also comes with a $25,000 prize — and Scarlett already has big plans for the money.

“We are building a gym in my backyard because we are taking this career very seriously,” she said. “And with the money left over, I would buy all new Rebel sets.”

Now, she and her mom are calling on the East Texas community to help push her into the top 20 before the next voting round begins.

“She deserves to win because of the hard work that she puts in and the passion,” Whitley said.

To cast your vote visit the link here.