The lights shine brightly, illuminating the short green grass that is about to be trampled underfoot.
As the football boys prepare to race across the field, the pom girls are poised and ready, too. Dressed in Stroud blue uniform and ready to have the crowd go wild, the girls take their positions. All are unique, but one stands out.
All are unique, but one stands out.
She’s freshman Sierra Wade, who stands out with her talent and vibrant red hair, as well as the two prosthetic legs that begin at her knees. Wade is a freshman at Stroud High School.
“I was very nervous at first going into high school, but it’s been really good so far,” Wade said. Entering a new phase of life is never without its nerves, but Wade has found her place. Her favorite subjects are English and Family and Consumer Sciences, and she enjoys spending a great amount of her time with her new teammates. Later this year, the team is planning on competing at state. Her first year on the pom team is exciting to say the least, but this is not her first time dancing.
“I love dancing and have been doing it since I was 4 years old. Pom allows me to continue doing what I love while also being a spirit leader for my school,” Wade said. Pom is a priority for Wade, but she has been involved in other sports. “I’ve been dancing nearly my whole life. I’ve also participated in basketball and tumbling,” Wade said.
With so many years of dance, pom has done more than just keep her dancing.
“It has helped me improve a lot as a dancer and I like being a part of a great team,” Wade said. It is without a doubt that Wade has been an active athlete for most of her life, and her dreams follow the same path she has walked before.
“I would like to work in the prosthetic or orthotics department at Shriners Hospital helping children just like me,” Wade said. Wade has had an experience unlike other girls her age since she was born.
“I was born with a genetic condition known as bilateral fibular hemilia. Both of my fibias were missing along with ankle structures and my remaining tibias were bowed. I had surgery when I was 7 months old to straighten my tibias and amputate my feet. It was the only option if I were going to be able to walk on my own. I was walking at 15 months old in my very first pair of prosthetics,” Wade said. Learning to walk, to run and to dance with prosthetics never stopped Wade from chasing her dreams to dance.
“My parents have never told me I can’t do something. It has made my mom nervous at times, but there hasn’t been anything I’ve tried that I haven’t been able to accomplish. Being shy growing up I didn’t like the stares, and that’s not going away. I’ve realized each day I have to make a decision. I choose to take control and not let my condition define me. Being unique and different is part of what makes every one of us special,” Wade said.