SUZANNA Lang and Brittany Clarke do not lift weights - they lift cheerleaders.
The Mt Lawley Senior High School students are part of the Australian team that competed and came third in the Cheerleading World Championships in Orlando, Florida.
The pair said it felt amazing to bring home a bronze medal for Australia from the championships in April. Their team of 21 had been preparing for the past year and auditioned against other Australian teams to make it through to the world championships.
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READ NOWSuzanna said the championships were the equivalent of the Olympics for cheerleading.
"It felt amazing to be able to represent our country," she said.
"In Australia there are so many stereotypes about cheerleaders. People think it's just about pompoms and performing during half-time, but in America it is so much more respected."
Suzanna and Brittany are backspots - they support the cheerleaders during stunts and catch them when they fall.
"We are the strong ones; if someone falls we have to catch them," Brittany said.
"There is a lot of trust between team members.
"They trust us to throw them and not drop them and we trust them not to elbow us in the face."
Both girls are hoping to compete again at the world championships in two years.