Angel Rice Is a Guinness World Record Holding Power Tumbler and the Breakout Star of 'Cheer'
Published Dec. 29 2021, 12:24 p.m. ET
At only 23, Angel Rice has achieved more professional success than most people can dream of.
Long before landing a role on Season 2 of Cheer, she was busy breaking Guinness World Records and acing competitions. So, what's there to know about the power tumbler, cheerleading icon, and the star of numerous viral videos?
Angel Rice is a cheerleader, Guinness World Record holder, and the star of 'Cheer.'
Angel and her brother, Jaden Rice, attend Trinity Valley Community College (or TVCC) in Athens, Texas. In Season 2 of Cheer, they join forces with the rest of TVCC to wipe Navarro College Cheer right off the mat.
A mightily talented cheerleader, Angel has already worked with successful teams like The California All-Stars and The Stingray All-Stars Marietta.
She reportedly announced her retirement from cheerleading in April 2018 after the Cheerleading Worlds 2018 in Orlando, Fla., only to change her mind soon afterward. She brought her trademark sass and unmatched work ethic to Season 2 of Cheer, proving to fans that she knows no bounds when it comes to cheerleading.
Angel Rice broke a Guinness World Record back when she was 16 years old.
Angel has been open about her ambitions to represent the U.S. in the Olympic Games.
In August 2015, Angel and her mom, Tonya, made an appearance on Today. Angel was invited to break a Guinness World Record, performing 10 double full twists in less than a minute. (Spoiler: She absolutely did that.)
As she mentioned during the appearance, she wants to represent the U.S. in power tumbling competitions and beyond. As she said, she would be very happy if her sport was included in the Olympics. (Turns out the International Olympic Committee granted full recognition to cheerleading in July 2021. In other words, Angel's dreams could soon become a reality.)
Since 2013, Angel has barely missed a U.S. Elite Challenge. She also partook in the 2013 U.S. Trampoline and Tumbling Championships in Kansas City, Mo., the 2013 Stars and Stripes Cup on Daytona Beach, Fla., the 2016 U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Providence, R.I., the 2017 Winter Classic in Battle Creek, Mich., and many others.
Angel has also participated in several international competitions, including the 2013 and 2014 World Age Group Competitions held in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Daytona Beach, Fla. She also partook in the 2017 Canada Cup in Calgary, Canada, according to USA Gymnastics.
Angel Rice started cheerleading competitively when she turned 5, and she hasn't looked back.
Angel took up an interest in cheerleading at an extraordinarily young age. But her mom, Tonya, wasn't happy about it at first. As Angel told NBC News in 2016, her older sister was already taking lessons, which left her mom with no choice but to teach her herself.
"My mom taught me everything," Angel said. "At first, she didn’t want me to do it because it was too expensive. So it made me work harder."
Tonya soon discovered her passion for tumbling coaching. She landed a job at Jam's Athletics in Georgia, which, in turn, marked some seismic changes for Angel's cheerleading career as well. "I started off cheerleading and then it just took off," Angel summed up.
What will Angel get up to next? Check out Season 2 of Cheer, available starting Jan. 12, 2021, on Netflix, to find out.