Girls Bask in Their New Destiny: Cheerleaders

Chloe, once mostly sedentary at home, now strives to do splits, getting closer all the time. Cheerleading has captured her imagination and her love of song and dance, which Brownies and basketball never did.

On the day of Destiny's first public appearance, Chloe emerged as a voice of assurance. "You just get out there and you have a great time!" the teenager told her teammates.

Three times last spring, the girls took the stage at competitions in Washington, in Baltimore and at Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. To some families' surprise, they performed their routine under bright lights, before audiences of thousands, beside cheerleaders with glittery makeup, hair-sprayed curls, years of experience.

Khadra Ayorinde recalls sitting on the edge of her seat in March on the day of Destiny's debut.

Her daughter, Ayaan, a 13-year-old with Down syndrome, would be performing at the Washington Convention Center. Anyone would be overwhelmed, she thought.

Yet, as she watched in awe, Ayaan jumped and tumbled, in her pleated blue skirt, her sleeveless shell, her matching hair bow and new white sneakers.

When the routine ended, Ayaan waved at the crowd.

Then she blew kisses.

"It was like she had been performing all her life," her mother recalled. "We were sitting right in front, and we were laughing and crying at the same time."

Other Destiny parents cried, too.

The audience rose to its feet in applause.

Said Nancy Weintraub, whose daughter cheers on other teams at the same Gaithersburg gym: "They are just totally inspiring."