Laney Madsen: From The Worlds Mat To The Gymnastics Floor!

Jun 19, 2018 by Emily Schmidt

Laney Madsen has been cheering for as long as she can remember. It's always been such a big part of her life that she can't even remember what life was like without it. She cheers at The California All Stars and competed at Worlds 2018 on Cali Rangers.

"I never really 'started' cheering,"Madsen said. "It’s just always been an immense part of my life since I was a baby."

After years of excelling in cheerleading, Laney took on a new challenge that she was already somewhat familiar with—gymnastics!

"I began gymnastics shortly after the 2012 Olympics but fully committed to training in May of 2014." Madsen shared.

Talk about TALENT! California Allstars Rangers member (& Cali Coed alum) Laney Madsen has been training as an elite gymnast since 2012 & is headed to the 2018 World Gymnastics Championships!?? #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/yzTpNvOeOX
— FloCheer (@FloCheer) June 18, 2018

Meet Laney!

How old are you?

17 years old

Where are you from?

I live in Temecula, CA. I do gymnastics in Costa Mesa, CA, and cheer in San Marcos, CA.

How did you get involved in gymnastics?

My involvement with gymnastics arose from almost an unexpected desire after being incredibly inspired after watching the London 2012 Olympics. I had never had any real involvement with gymnastics, yet after watching the Olympic Games, I deeply felt and believed that I wanted and could make that happen for myself just like the girls I watched on my TV at home had.

How did you begin cheering?

My involvement in cheer has been through my parents. I was ultimately born into the sport of cheerleading and it’s always been a part of me.

What is it like balancing both sports at the same time?

Balancing the two sports is very normal to me and I find myself very lucky, in fact. So many people spend their whole lives working to find a passion and I’ve been so fortunate enough to not only have one passion at such a young age, but two to work hard at. I have a very strong support system and a group of great people in my corner, by my side and there for me through everything I encounter that help me stay strong as well.

"Both sports help to convey and build strong parts of who I am as a whole not only as an athlete in each sport but ultimately as a person."

Laney is celebrating a huge milestone in her gymnastics career. She was recently chosen for the Bulgarian national team!

"This has been a huge and incredible blessing in my life and I truly believe that when God blesses, he does indeed bless in bunches."

Laney is half American and half Bulgarian. As she goes through this upcoming experience, she hopes to make Bulgaria proud while making a positive impact on the cheer world. Laney will still be cheering on Rangers this upcoming season and you can plan to see her at Worlds 2019!