Organized in 2002 by coach Sharon Myrick and her sister-in-law Donna Myrick after watching specials needs teams compete at CHEERSPORT NATIONALS in Atlanta, Georgia, Maryland Twisters Eye of the Storm was one of the first cheerleading teams in the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia areas specifically for athletes with special needs.
In The
Beginning
The Face of Eye of the Storm
A huge influence behind the success of Eye of the Storm is former member – and son of coach Sharon – Jimmy Myrick. Jimmy was very passionate about Eye of the Storm. Quickly becoming “the face” of Eye of the Storm, Jimmy would wow the crowd with his showmanship and skills – even in his wheelchair. In 2015 Jimmy was featured in the film “Champions League 2” produced by Nfinity and was honored with the Maryland Twister Spirit Award, and the IEP (Independent Event Producers) Award from Cheer and Dance Extreme. Jimmy always hit the mat and competed like the champion that he was, even after being diagnosed and bravely battling Leukemia for 4 years. He gave 110% at every performance to inspire hope in others battling cancer, until his death on February 12, 2016. Jimmy paved the way for athletes of all abilities to be accepted and respected in the competitive all star cheerleading World. Jimmy is immensely missed by everyone who knew him. #TeamJimmy
Today’s Team
Currently, Eye is comprised of athletes who range in age from 14-39. Each Eye athlete has various health/emotional/intellectual physical challenges: Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, neurological disorders, emotional disorders, social anxiety … but none of them let their challenges stop them from performing a 2:30 routine unassisted – successfully.
Eye of the Storm competes and travels a similar schedule to the Maryland Twisters’ local and travel teams. The team trains ten months out of the year: two-to-three hour practices twice per week. Expect extended practice times the week of a large competition. Eye parents believe participating in competitive all star cheerleading is an opportunity for their children to grow and experience a sport “just like other kids.”
Eye athletes are proud to represent the legacy that Jimmy helped build. Eye has been national champions and an inspiration for all athletes in the competitive cheerleading world. Almost 23 years later and the “CheerAbilities” competitive division continues to grow … and Eye of the Storm continues to be successful.
Accolades
Eye of the Storm has earned numerous local and national titles over the last 20+ seasons. Most recently, those titles include:
Summit Champions 2024
Cheersport (Atlanta, GA)
5-time National Champions
2011, 2013, 2015, 2020, 2022
The Cheerleading Worlds’ Performance Showcase
4-time At-Large Bid Winners
2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
NCA (Dallas, Texas)
5-time National Champions
2007, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019
REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES
Prior to The 2018 Cheerleading Worlds competition, members of Eye of the Storm had the honor of competing on behalf of Team USA in the inaugural CheerAbilities division at the International Cheer Union event, also held in Orlando, Florida, where they won the Silver medal!