Day 1124 - Dynamite Dave

Meet Dynamite Dave - Australia's first Cheerlebrity.

Dynamite Dave - Photo from "The Project"

What is a cheerlebrity?  It is quite simply a cheer celebrity.  I'm not sure it's in the dictionary yet, but you can be rest assured it will be soon.  Who is Dynamite Dave? Well, he is this amazing boy who has captured the hearts of the Australian cheer community and beyond with his enthusiasm, commitment and pure spirit, and there is no doubt that he is Australia's first cheerlebrity.



Dynamite Dave is 21 year old David Pizarcoff and he has Downs Syndrome which means he has different challenges to face than the everyday Aussie.  He was recently introduced to the sport of cheerleading by his father who is Peter Pizarcoff, owner of CustomTrax, and the "man behind the microphone" at all the All Star cheerleading competitions in Australia.  Included in the Dynamite Dave package is a very supportive and encouraging cheer coach, Sonia Roarty from Cheer Factor in Victoria.

The Victorian cheer community have known Dave for a little while now, but the Australian cheerleading community were only introduced to Dave last weekend at the National Championships.  The entire stadium erupted as Dave walked on to the floor to lift his flyer into the air for a bunch of stunts and tricks.  There were cheers of encouragement and awe, and tears of pride and delight from men, women and children, as Dave showed the world that the challenges he faces aren't going to stop him from participating in the sport he loves.

When Dave was born his parents were advised of all the things he would never be able to do.  When told he would never be able to use a trampoline, his father went and bought him a trampoline.  Told he would never play sport, his Dad introduced him to sport.

Dave is a shining example of the phrase "never say never".  He is proof that anything is possible and to achieve things in life all you need is commitment, spirit, belief and a whole lot of action.  Every one of us has challenges, some are just different than others.  As Dave's cheer coach says, David is "differently challenged".

There's no way you can say this boy will never be a cheerleader, because in a competition with 5000 athletes competing at a national level, Dave showed Australia that he had everything he needed to mix with the best.

Dynamite Dave and team - photo from Dynamite Dave Facebook page

As Dynamite Dave stood around the edges of the competition high fiving the kids as they walked off the competition floor, I knew in an instant that this bloke was our first ever cheerlebrity.

For more Dynamite Dave be sure to watch Channel Ten's "The Project" tonight at 6.00pm.  You can also follow him on Facebook.

His story will inspire you ....