After a two-year-long absence from cheerleading due to injury, senior Miranda Santos decided that this year would be the year to return to the sport she loves and is now cheering on the Roseville High School squad.

During a practice for the Cal Fame IV cheerleading team during her freshman year, Santos suffered a traumatic head injury that caused her to become permanently deaf in her left ear. This injury was not the only one that Santos had received during her seven prior years of cheerleading; Santos had experienced groin and other types of head injuries as well as multiple torn ligaments due to cheer.

At the time of the injury to her ear, Santos wanted to battle her injuries and continue cheering. Doctors urged otherwise and advised her to take a break to prevent further damage, so she did.

Even though she felt as if her break was finally over this year, Santos felt nervous coming back to the sport. However, she could not resist her passion.

“I was scared going back into it, but it’s something I love to do,” Santos said. “I love to do it, and it’s senior year so I figured, ‘why not?’ If anything happens, it is what it is.”

Santos said that her father, David, although slightly wary about her return due to past injuries, was one of the most supportive and encouraging people that helped her make the decision to return.

“I was excited about it for her because I know she has quite a passion for cheer,” David said. “But at the same time, being her dad, I was very cautious. I think that will always be kind of an underlying feeling but I’m excited about her doing something that I know she’s so passionate about.”

Like her family, the Tigers were happy to welcome Santos to the squad. RHS cheer coach Gretchen Littlejohn coached Santos on the Buljan Middle School cheer team when she was in the seventh grade and was especially happy about her re-entry to the sport.

“She is a versatile athlete,” Littlejohn said. “She brings a lot of skill and athleticism and experience to our team, and we are thrilled that she chose to come back and wrap up her senior year with high school cheer.”

Santos’ teammates do not think that her past injuries have any affect on her as a performer and look forward to see what kind of experience she can bring to the team this year.