Chelsea Lopez
Hi! I’m Chelsea. I am the Founder, President & Head Coach of Inclusion Cheer. I decided to start Inclusion Cheer in 2019, shortly after I graduated from Highschool. Cheer has always been a huge part of my life. I discovered my love for people with intellectual disabilities at a young age as well. Although I do not have any family members with intellectual disabilities, I do have many friends, who I absolutely consider family. Through the love of cheer and people with intellectual disabilities/differences, came the idea of Inclusion Cheer! Why the name? First and foremost, I aim to educate others on the importance of INCLUSION. Second, I do this through the sport of CHEER. In my free time, I enjoy volunteering with other non-profits and my own community. I also love spending time with my family and friends. I’ve been taking college courses to receive my degree in education, but am currently undecided in my career path. I currently have an interest in learning American Sign Language as well. As long as I am around kind people and doing my part to make this world a little kinder, I am happy! Thank you for taking the time to check out our website. Remember that Inclusion matters and be KIND!
Alex Burke
Hello! I’ve been with Inclusion cheer since we first started back in 2019. I chose to support and help Chelsea with her vision of starting a special needs cheer team and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life! I have absolutely no experience with cheer, nor have I ever worked exclusively with individuals who have differing abilities. I chose to devote my time and energy to this team as a coach and board member because I have grown to love this inclusion community. The individuals I get to coach on a weekly basis are truly my favorite people to be around! The best thing I get out of this experience is a community where I feel included and a sense of purpose though coaching and entertaining!
Erin meottel
I have been with Inclusion cheer since September 2021! After graduating college in May of 2021, I was looking for new ways to be involved in the community. Once I came across Inclusion Cheer I was beyond excited because it allowed me to combine two of my passions, cheerleading and working with individuals of all abilities. I have been in the world of cheerleading for about 15 years! I have been involved with cheerleading in several different ways including a competitive cheerleader, choreographer, coach, UCA instructor, and collegiate cheerleader for the University of Utah. I also have been volunteering with Special Olympics and other local organizations in California for individuals with all abilities for around 10 years! Out of all of the various ways that I have been involved with cheerleading, Inclusion has been the most rewarding for me! I constantly learn so much from each of the athletes, coaches, and volunteers. There is such a positive, welcoming, and empowering environment at Inclusion that I consider myself so lucky to be a part of. Spending time with these athletes is the highlight of my week, every single week!
Sean Wallock
Hey everyone! I initially started to come to Inclusion just to watch Julie with my mom and I was really blown away with the whole group. As soon as I moved to Utah, I was eager to volunteer and help where I could even without knowing anything about cheer. I joined the team in 2021 and it has really become one of the most amazing things I have ever been a part of! Growing up, my mom spent some time as a special needs educator, and I would go in and read to her classes on occasion. Eventually, we were blessed to have Julie enter our lives and I will forever be grateful for it and the unconditional love she shows everyone she meets. She is an amazing example to me and probably has taught me more than I ever will teach her. Being a part of Inclusion gives me the chance to have so many more individuals like Julie in my life and it brings me so much joy each and every week. I truly love Inclusion and everything it represents and am grateful to be a part of something so amazing.
Shallie Smith
Hey everyone, I have been with Inclusion Cheer for almost a year now! My sister Hayley shared Chelsea's post about looking for a volunteer coach to help with the team and I didn't even think twice about applying! I have always loved being around those with special needs and saw it as a great way to make a difference and surround myself with great people. My niece Shaye is one of my biggest inspirations and I am so happy to help her, and others like her. I am grateful to be part of such a wonderful team!