Steve Carrier on June 7, 2023
AEW star Julia Hart has opened up about the injuries she sustained during her cheerleading career prior to her wrestling journey. In a recent appearance on Taylor Wilde’s ‘Wilde On’ podcast, Hart shared her experiences and the challenges she faced.
Hart revealed that she suffered a torn labrum in her shoulder, but due to the demanding nature of cheerleading and the absence of an offseason, she delayed getting surgery for two years. Despite the injury, she continued to perform and adapt, often using only one arm to lift her teammates during routines.
“So I had two really bad ones (injuries while doing competitive cheerleading). One was my shoulder. I tore my labrum and I battled that for a really long time because it would pop out, it would pop back in and in cheer, we don’t have an off-season.”
“Kind of like wrestling, there’s no off-season so if you’re out, you’re kind of screwed so I didn’t get surgery until like two years later of it being torn and I would just cheer with one arm.”
“I would literally lift girls with one arm, do the full routine with one arm because I was like, I don’t want to be off and then I finally got the surgery and then I quit my senior year. Long story.”
Additionally, Hart shared the story of a severe concussion she endured in 8th grade while performing a stunt. Despite the seriousness of the injury and experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, she initially downplayed the severity to herself and continued with her cheerleading commitments.
“But then, in 8th grade, I got a really bad concussion. I was at the top of the stunt and I was supposed to switch my legs in the air and I totally missed it.
“The girls dropped me and I just landed on my head and then four days later, I’m in the hospital throwing up, because I told myself, I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine because it was like our first competition that weekend too so I was like, oh, it’s my first year on varsity.
“I was like, ‘I can’t miss it’ and then, you know, if it’s your head, go take care of yourself and I’ve learned that now.
“It’s like, if it’s my head, I have to be honest with myself and take care of yourself because concussions are not something to mess with.
“I couldn’t even walk. It was literally like the worst concussion, and I’m in 8th grade so I’m just a little girl and I remember too, I’m in the hospital, s**t (she laughed), it’s the day of the competition that I wake up and I’m throwing up and my coach, one of the cheer coaches calls my mom and goes, ‘Well can she just come quick and do a two minute — it’s just a two-minute routine. Can she just come do it?’
“As I’m in the hospital, throwing up, can’t see and then like, ‘Mom, I gotta go.’ She’s like, ‘Are you kidding me!?’ And I’m like, ‘I gotta go, I gotta go. Two minutes, that’s all it is.’ I was like brainwashed in cheer. I was like, ‘I can do it.’
Reflecting on her experiences, Hart emphasized the importance of prioritizing one’s health, particularly when it comes to head injuries. She acknowledged the need to be honest with oneself and seek proper medical attention when faced with such situations.
Despite the challenges and injuries she encountered during her cheerleading days, Julia Hart has successfully transitioned to professional wrestling and continues to showcase her skills in AEW. Most recently, she competed in a No Holds Barred match on the May 10 edition of AEW Dynamite, where she emerged victorious against Anna Jay.
What lessons do you think aspiring athletes and performers can learn from Julia Hart’s experiences with injuries during her cheerleading career? Leave a comment.
June 7, 2023 9:55 am
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