Never Too Late For Fun

First seniors' cheerleading team takes the stage

- Shermaine Ang

Ms Lydia Lee pulled off her first cheerleading routine at the age of 77.

Decked out in matching blue and white outfits, she and her teammates punched the air with their bright red pom-poms, spun each other around and grooved in sync to the beat.

Rah Rah, as their 60-member squad is known, made its debut performance at the World Ageing Festival here on April 8 – the culmination of three months of weekly practice.

Their ages ranged from 59 to 82, making the squad Singapore's first seniors' cheerleading team.

Twenty members – Ms Lee included – were on stage, while the others danced offstage around the audience.

Those on stage had a more "complex" routine, and training was "very intensive", Ms Lee said, but she did not mind.

"I'm retired, and I'm free from family commitments," the former primary school teacher said.

"I'm single and I live alone, so I have a lot of time."

She initially struggled to remember the three-minute routine and keep to the rhythm, as she has gradual hearing loss.

But she went through the steps every day, watching a video made by the squad's instructor Nah Jieying, a dancer and choreographer.

"I forced myself to learn to be good in it," Ms Lee said.

"When I made mistakes sometimes, I would be very angry with myself. I tried harder to remember what the next step was, so I did (the routine) many times on my own."

She said everyone was very respectful and patient.

"I think I'm one of the most senior in the group, so they accommodated me. They would help me and remind me," she said, adding that the instructor was encouraging even when she made mistakes.

"I made many new friends. We had makan sessions after practice, tea, coffee and sometimes dinner," said Ms Lee.

She was happy with her performance. "I tried my best," she said coyly.