Forrest senior cheerleader Hannah Gray will have the opportunity of a lifetime as one of more than 800 high school cheerleaders from across the United States who will be representing Varsity Spirit in the world famous London New Year’s Day Parade.

Gray and her family moved to Chapel Hill from Queens, NYC in January, 2012.

Gray, who has been an All-American twice and competed in the Nations at Orlando all four years in high school, has been cheering since fifth grade and now is in her eighth year of cheering at Forrest.

Forrest was runner up in the state championships last year and has made semifinals in Nationals the last two years

The individuals invited to perform in the London celebration are part of the All-American program, selected from Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) and National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) at summer camps across the country. All-Americans are chosen based on superior athletic and leadership skills.

Only the top 12 percent of athletes who attend camp earn the chance to perform in the holiday spectacular.

“The All-American program is celebrating its 32nd year in 2019, and our talented cheerleaders really enjoy the opportunity to show their skills to a very enthusiastic international audience,” Mike Fultz, International Event Coordinator for Varsity Spirit said.

Memphis-based Varsity Spirit has been a driving force behind cheerleading’s dynamic transformation into the high-energy, athletic activity it is today, and the leading global source for all things cheerleading and dance.

Varsity Spirit is a leader in uniform innovation and educational camps, clinics and competitions, impacting nearly a million athletes each year.

Focused on safety, entertainment and traditional school leadership, Varsity Spirit’s 5,000 employees have been helping raise cheerleading’s influence and profile since 1974.

For more information about Varsity Spirit, please visit varsity.com.