Florida 8-year-old wins cheer competition solo after team bails

An 8-year-old Florida girl whose team failed to show up to a cheer contest, leaving her to perform solo, picked up first place in the cheer competition.

Peyton beat two other teams to secure the first-place trophy.

“I was scared about everything, and I was very nervous,” Peyton said.

Peyton performed the routine alone in front of several hundred spectators at the Showcase of Championships cheer competition at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

“Nobody had come for whatever reasons they had had, and it ended up just being her that had shown up so her coach, Nikki, said, ‘look like we might have to forfeit,’” Peyton’s mom Nichole told FOX 13.

In spite of all the call-offs, Peyton said she didn’t want to let her team down.

“I didn’t really want my team to be disappointed in me for not going out there and not showing up for them, and so I made my decision. I wanted to go out there, and I wanted to make my family proud and all my friends proud of myself,” Peyton said.

“Me and her coaches were just crying our eyes out. I just couldn’t believe it, but just to see her out there on her own. She’s amazing,” her mom said.

Peyton said she hopes her solo performance will encourage other kids to be brave in difficult circumstances.

“Jesus tells me to be brave, so I just went out there and was brave and got the trophy,” Peyton said.

Peyton’s performance comes hot-on-the-heels of another solo performance in Nebraska by 17-year-old Katrina Kohel.