[The Guardian] ‘I’m 80 and I’ve got more energy than most people’: the Arizona cheerleader squad for retirees – in pictures

‘I’m 80 and I’ve got more energy than most people’: the Arizona cheerleader squad for retirees – in pictures

The Sun City Poms – currently aged from 58 to 89 – have been bringing flair to their retirement community for over 40 years

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Sun City, Arizona was the first large-scale retirement community in the US when it opened in 1960. For the last 43 years it has been home to the cheerleading grannies of the Sun City Poms, a marching and performance group whose 28 members range in age from 58 to 89; they practise three times a week and appear at up to 50 events a year. US photographer Kendrick Brinson has been documenting Sun City since 2009, and describes it as a “joyful and uplifting” place to work. Towards the end of last year, as vaccines were bringing the Covid-19 pandemic under control, she wanted to know how the Poms were faring, and flew back to Arizona. On 11 December, the Poms marched in the Christmas in the Park holiday parade in Litchfield Park, only their third performance after the pandemic put community events on hold for 18 months. “We all worked hard on Zoom to be ready to perform when the lockdown was lifted,” says Kathy Villa, 65, the Poms’ marching director. “I might have teared up from seeing so many happy faces at once,” Brinson says.

Members of the Sun City Poms hula hooping in October 2020 (top) and practising marching and dancing in unison again when Covid restrictions were lifted

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