A Coeur d'Alene High School junior and varsity cheerleader made her international debut when she performed with the Varsity Spirit All-American Cheer team in the 2024 London New Year's Day Parade.

Sophia Green, 16, leapt at the chance to participate after she tried out for the All-American team in July.

"She started off in gymnastics and she did that for a long time," Sophia's mom, Jamie Green, said Friday. "That helped her make varsity her freshman year."

The organization sent Sophia the choreography for the performance about a month before the parade. The 2-mile parade route meandered through Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square and finished at Westminster Abbey in Parliament Square.

The London New Year’s Day Parade attracts over 10,000 participants from the U.S., United Kingdom, Europe and beyond to a street audience of more than 500,000 and a huge TV audience of millions of viewers.

"I felt the parade was such an amazing experience," Sophia said. "I got to meet so many new people while doing what I love. I love cheer because I get to showcase my skills and be a part of a team with my best friends."

Green said she is incredibly proud of her eldest of four children, who also has a 3.8 grade point average and has a part-time job as well as a passion for cheer.

"I don't know how she balances it all," Green said. "She's really good at managing her time and she's really self-motivated. She makes raising kids easy. She has such a drive."

Sixth-generation Coeur d'Alene resident Sophia Green, 16, poses in front of a famous bridge in London, where she and the Varsity Spirit All-American Cheer team performed in the New Year's Day Parade.