By Derrick Smith

Throughout any person’s life, there are people that enter and can make an impact on us. Some may be in our lives for short periods of time, while others may be there for the long haul. Taryn Fleck says that the person that has had the biggest influence on her has been there since day one. 

“My role model would have to be my mom,” she said. “She is the light in any room you walk into. I have never met a more loving and hard-working person in my life. To be like her is one of my biggest dreams I want to accomplish. She always pushes me to be the best I can be. She is truly my best friend.”

Taryn is a senior at Edmond Santa Fe High School where she is captain of the cheer team. She has been in competitive cheer for about eight years, and she has been a member of the Santa Fe cheer squad for all four years of high school.

While she enjoys cheering, Fleck knows the work and dedication that is required to be your best.
“Hard work and dedication are all it takes to be successful,” she said. “It’s going to be hard sometimes but as long as you push through you can do anything you put your mind to. Cheerleading is a mental game so as long as you stay out of your head you will be very successful. I wouldn’t have been able to make it without my teammates by my side every step of the way.”

As she looks back at her career, Taryn remembers that the early years of varsity were not easy, but it helped her become the athlete she is today.

“My freshman year I was a part of the freshman team, competitive state team, and an all-star competitive team,” she recalled. “This was very time consuming and sometimes it was way too much for me to handle. However, I pushed through and that year I competed at my first high school state championship and placed second at my first ever world championship in Orlando, Florida with my all-star cheer team. I can’t even describe how difficult that year was for me, but I wouldn’t change it for the world and the work was so worth it.”