Cheer star Maddy Brum recently opened up about her hardships while growing up and how “touched” she was to discover just how much her fans resonated with her story.
Maddy Brum has become a prominent figure in the world of cheerleading, catapulted to fame after her appearance on Season 2 of the Emmy award-winning docu-series Cheer on Netflix.
Maddy and her fellow Navarro College teammates made headlines for their powerful combination of stunts, tumbling, and dance.
Uprooting her life in Dracut, Massachusetts, Maddy joined the 14-time NCA National Champion junior college squad in Corsicana, Texas under the reign of coaches Monica Aldama and Andy Cosferent.
Cheer star Maddy Brum talks culture shock moving from Massachusetts to Texas
Now, the 19-year-old cheer sensation is talking about her upbringing, how much it differed from her time in Texas, and how pleasantly surprised she was to discover her fans could relate to her story.
“I cheered for Dracut Pop Warner all the way up until I was probably about 12 years old and then ECE East Celebrity Elite out of Tewksbury, Massachusetts,” Maddy shared with WCVB out of Boston.
When Maddy, a New England native, transplanted herself to the heart of Texas, she soon realized she was in for some culture shock. For instance, the way athletes address their coaches in Texas is much different than what she was used to, growing up in the northeast.
“My coaches would be like, ‘When I say something to you, you respond with yes ma’am or yes sir,’ and I was like, ‘Yes ma’am?’ Like, if I said ‘yes ma’am’ to someone back home, they would be like, ‘Don’t say that to me,'” Maddy joked.
Another shock to Maddy was the proximity of the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts, which is a whopping two hours away, something she’s not accustomed to.
During her time on Cheer, Maddy was upfront about her struggles as a child. Her father served time in prison for rape and is not permitted to leave the state of Massachusetts. Maddy’s mom struggled to keep a roof over their heads as a single mom and she was often uncertain where she would be sleeping from day to day.
“Today may be a chaotic day. I don’t know where I’m sleeping tonight, but I know tomorrow at 6 a.m., I’m going to cheerleading practice,” Maddy revealed during Season 2 on Cheer.
Maddy Brum ‘touched’ by outpouring of support from fans
Sharing her struggles resonated with many of Maddy’s fans, which came as a pleasant surprise to the skilled athlete.
“I think it also opened our eyes to, like, it’s not something I personally went through. It’s something that we all as a family went through, and it’s how we overcame it,” Maddy shared.
The accomplished teenager added, “And we are so much better now than what we used to be 10 years ago, and that was my family’s end goal at the end of the day, and we achieved it.”
“People relating to it and I didn’t realize how many people could really have almost a very, very exact similar story to me, so that’s why it touched me a lot,” Maddy said of the outpouring of support she’s received from her fans.
These days, Maddy is back at Navarro, preparing for Daytona this spring, in the hopes of bringing home yet another first-place finish for the team.
After Daytona, Maddy will be joining the most elite cheerleaders on tour this summer for Cheer Live, combining athletes from both Navarro College and their long-standing rival, Trinity Valley Community College.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Cheer are currently streaming on Netflix.