Under the Bridge If you have ever taken a stroll across the Quebec Street bridge heading north towards Oxford St, you will have noticed several large industrial spaces on the east side under the bridge. What might look like a desolate and dismissed area is actually home to one of the liveliest and most animated practice spaces in the city. It’s the headquarters for the Power Cheer Gym and the Western Mustang Cheer Team’s training facility. Upon walking in you’ll notice that amidst the springy floors and gym mats there are also comfortable spaces to hang out and make yourself at home since many of the athletes spend so much time there. As I sat and watched them arrive, they chatted, connected and pumped each other up for their practice session. One athlete even sat down at an old upright piano in the corner and set a great tone for what is some of the most risky and intense kind of practice I’ve ever seen. Prior to it becoming the gym it was known as the Stark Warehouses. Owner Bob Stark was a huge supporter of minor hockey and baseball and when Coach Trace was looking for a new space to train the Western Cheer Team, Bob was happy to have kids coming into the space to train. The building has been the exclusive space for the 35 + time national champions since 2000 and in that time the doors have also been opened to martial arts, acrobatic and cirque groups. If you’re looking for this kind of space you can always reach out to Coach Trace at 519-902-1270. He and the athletes are drawn to this location for its uniqueness in the city and the accessibility for the kids using transit. Coach Trace has been both an athlete and coach since the 1970s and has been a leader in the world of cheer in London, having also coached for the title-holding cheer teams at Catholic Central High School. Watching the Western Cheer Team, the athletes are very aware of his passion and carry out the same energy, many of whom have gone on to open their own cheer gyms across Canada. A training session runs itself as the athletes know and run drills in a timely way independent of the coach’s need to facilitate the whole time.
The sport itself is worthy of appreciation, even if glitz is not your thing, as these folks endure not only intense training but have to build trust in each other that unites them like family. To have someone hold you or throw you in the air knowing that they will also be there to catch you creates a unique relationship in a team. It’s no wonder they spend the kind of time they do with each other before they get to the drills. Coach Trace has had a great deal of experience working with and training high-level athletes but also understands the importance of “having a life”. Competitive sports can take a lot out of young folks so he is looking forward to developing some more recreation programs for kids who want to explore the world of cheer without the need to give up on “being a kid”.
So it stands to reason that the area of Old East Village is never without its surprises. You don’t really know what’s be- hind some of these old fa- cades and it’s always a pleasure to find these animated, eccentric and quite frankly interesting things going on. Learn more about Power Cheer Gym at powercheergym.com
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Page 6 Old East Villager July-August 2025
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