Krista Gerlich-Fitzgerald – President, Director at Large

president@cheercanada.ca

Krista Gerlich-Fitzgerald has been involved as an athlete, coach, judge and sports organizational member both domestically and internationally for over 20 years.  She is passionate about the promotion of the sport striving to create a supportive and positive environment through communication, consultation and relationship building. Krista joined the Cheer Canada board in October, 2023 after 10 years on the BC Sport Cheer board.  She is a NCCP certified trampoline and gymnastics coach, but primarily coaches and judges all-star cheerleading. During the day, Krista is an Associate Registrar at Kwantlen Polytechnic University with a background in policies, educational curriculum and record management

Nick Verburg – Vice President

vicepresident@cheercanada.ca

Nick is a Member at Large for Cheer Canada coming from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Previously the Athlete Director, he has served with Cheer Canada for the past 6 years. He has been involved in Cheer for about 13 years, and within that time has participated in almost every aspect of the sport. As an athlete, he has been a member of Team Canada Coed Premier for 9 seasons. As a coach, Nick is the Program Director for Vision Cheer Company, where he coaches, and handles all coach training. Nick is in the professional world as the head coach of the Blue Bombers Cheer and Dance team, and has worked as a judge. As a passion project, Nick sits as the president and founder of The Lift Up Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to increasing the accessibility of cheerleading across Canada. 

Avery Teo – Secretary / Pacific Regional Representative

secretary@cheercanada.ca

Coming from Edmonton, AB, Avery has been involved in cheer over the last decade. He values fostering community and finding opportunities to collaborate for high impact programming that people can access. He hopes to bring this energy to the work he’ll engage in over his time with Cheer Canada.

In our sport, Avery is a senior coach with Alberta Cheer Empire and scholastic coach with Harry Ainlay High School, where he once began his cheer athlete career. Currently, Avery competes on an All Star worlds team and the Team Canada National Training Team Program.

In his professional life, he is an Orientation and Transition Specialist at the University of Alberta with a focus on curriculum, large-event management, program development, and project management.

Danielle Hilliard – Director at Large

danielle@cheercanada.ca

Danielle is a true believer in quality sport programming and is passionate about keeping Cheerleading safe and inclusive for all participants. Danielle has over 20 years of experience in the sport. She is a UWO Mustang Cheer alumni, where she earned a degree in sociology and criminology, followed by a diploma in HR Management. Danielle is a former Team Canada Coed Elite and Premier athlete. In her professional life, Danielle heads up the Education Department at a Provincial Sport Organization, managing the National Coaching Certification Program. She is well-versed in safe sport initiatives, risk management and coach education. Through her various roles as a high-performance athlete, coach, clinician and choreographer, Danielle has an in-depth understanding of the sport through numerous lenses. Danielle’s strong background in coach education, both as a coach and an administrator, brings a unique perspective to Cheer Canada’s Board of Directors. She is thrilled to be able to give back to the sport that means so much to her.

Joe de Guzman – Central Regional Representative

joe@cheercanada.ca

Joe started cheerleading in 2006 after growing up and playing competitive baseball for his whole life prior. He joined PCT (Power Cheer & Tumble) in Ontario in 2008 after attending and cheerleading at York University in 2006. Joe has since been a coach and manager there since 2010, retiring as an athlete in 2013. Since joining the sport, Joe was a part of the first ICU World Championships, winning gold with the first ever Team Canada in 2009. and has always been a big supporter of the sport and the program. His coaching resumé precedes him, having won multiple International, National, and Provincial championships, having also coached Junior and Senior Team Canada teams as of late. Joe is very passionate about the growth of athletes and coaches, as well as the growth of this sport throughout the country.

Lucky Ingabire – Director at Large

lucky@cheercanada.ca

Lucky brings to the Board a practical understanding of the sport and a track record of organizational leadership and athlete advocacy.

She is first and foremost an enduring student of the mat. Lucky started competing in high school and later for all-star (Black Widow Cheer Gym) and university teams. She learned the most from being on the floor, building skills over time, and working closely with others where communication, routine strategy, injury prevention, and mutual accountability are essential. Her insight extends beyond technical knowledge to the policy, planning, and advocacy required to advance Cheer Canada’s mission and values.

Today, Lucky practices appellate litigation in both official languages and brings her legal training in business, corporate, regulatory, and administrative law experience to the Board. Although she’s traded in her bows for briefcases, she still knows how to stick the landing—this time by championing transparent governance and sound policy development for Cheer Canada.

Quinne Cadman – Western Regional Representative

quinne@cheercanada.ca

Cheer Canada Committees 

Standing Committees

Operational Committees

Working Groups and Task Forces