Transcripts For WPVI Nightline 20140801

Season at jcpenney. Starting wednesday, get a coupon for 10 off when you spend 25 or more. Jcpenney, when it fits, you feel it. Number one, in just 60 seconds. Good evening. Im dan abrams. Youre about to meet families that made huge sacrifices for their kids. They invested hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars. And in some cases, rearranged their entire lives. All for cheerleading. These Young Athletes are superstars on social media, where legions of fans follow their every move. Now, its game time. Abcs Bianna Golodryga headed out with them to the competition of their lives. The hair is part of the show. Reporter today, gabby butler and her mom need every hair to be perfectly in place. Shes hungry. Shes tired. Reporter meanwhile [ bleep ]. Reporter Michael Eddie is terrified he might miss the most important moment of his life. I guess its just the fact this is my last intensifies everything. Right now, is basically do or die. Reporter for Carly Manning, the pressure is almost too much. I wouldnt want to disappoint people by giving up. Reporter for these three world class athletes, thousands of hours of training and problems with injuries have led up to this one day. Welcome to the World Championships of competitive cheerleading. Do you believe in you . Yes. Do you believe in us. We are the best of the best. We are wildcats. Reporter no pompoms in sight. Here the risk is high. And the stakes are even higher. Any given moment, something can happen. Reporter a single miss can cost the athletes and their families everything theyve worked for. Im a mom that loves her kids above and beyond. And i would do whatever they want. Reporter our story begins in this texas gym, two months before the World Championships. Where 15yearold Carly Manning has been training more than half her life. This year, for the first time, shes made it on to the wildcats. They compete at the most advanced levels. Practices are very important. Especially here. Thats where youre trying to earn your spot. Were all just trying to push to be on the team. Reporter her team is hoping that carlys ability to fly the recordbreaking heights like this will help them win backtoback championships. And its not a bad bet. Those are the medals that ive won over the years. Reporter carlys room is decorated with proof of her stellar track record. But for all these wins, this teenager had to make some sacrifices. I havent watched tv in i cant tell you how long. I think its years. Reporter very busy years, filled with very busy days. Most like this one, start at 6 00 a. M. I have about 16hour days. Reporter first, school. And off to practice. Basically, this is only opportunity i have to do homework unless i want to stay up really late when i get home. Reporter to make all this possible, she needs a chauffeur. Carly spends as much time cheerleading as someone would in a fulltime job. Reporter carlys mom spends 16 hours on the road every week because of cheer. Several times i have to remind carly, hey, im doing this for you. Reporter and with just a week to go before the World Championships, the schedule is about to get way more intense. And so are the practices. You come in here for the practices, including if you have mono, if you have strep. If you have a broken leg, kicking out the side of your body, you have a smile on your face and you fake it the entire practice. You can do it. Okay. You can do it. Flipping, spinning, throwing girls in the air. Thats the dangerous part of clear heding. I broke my right ankle. I had various hamstring injuries. Going to do it till my body breaks. Reporter her mom, however, does believe this sacrifice does serve a purpose. She learns so many lessons. She learns how to have a great work ethic. How to fully commit to something, which she does do. Reporter carly is, after all, a straighta student. But cindy worries her daughter might be taking this dream too far. Its about 11 20 p. M. Now. Were just getting home. If i had to give up cheer or give up school, i would give up school. What about your life . I dont know. That makes no sense. I dont know. I want to cheer. Cheer where . True. Okay. Reporter competitive cheer is a shortlived career. She cant go pro or win olympic glory. But surprisingly, carly has become a celebrity of sorts with almost 500,000 followers on instagram. That number to me is mindblowing. Oh, my gosh. Reporter gabby butler is also a celebrity. She even has groupies. Its such a nice feeling, like, in my heart. It really does make me feel good, even though sometimes ill get a little annoyed. Or ill feel like overwhelmed. Reporter this is not what drives her to keep flipping. I love performing and just doing my best. And being with my team. And making memories out of it. Reporter and she has a lot of them. Shes been cheering since she was eight. This florida girl was recruited by one of the most elite teams in the country. Based in california. Gabby is addicted to cheer. She loves it from her soul. Its like her oxygen. Reporter to further gabbys cheer dreams, her mother made a difficult decision to split up the family. Moving across the country, leaving her husband and two other children behind. Living away from my husband and my children is extremely hard. Were a tightknit family. Its putting our hearts on the other side of the country. I think its funny how you hate doing your hair. Reporter their home away from home has become an accidental cheer house. Debbie is den mom to a handful of teenagers at any given time. Here, they eat, breathe and sleep cheer. But its pretty tight quarters. Theyre all forced to get very close. Sometimes debbie has to sleep on the couch. Im a mom. Not a cheer mom. A mom who loves her kids above and beyond. I will do whatever they want. We need to finish this. Reporter in order to raise a star like gabby, she must manage every last detail of her daughters life. From what to pack. I dont work. This is my job. Reporter to the color of her nails. Let me see. Just a little more. They tumble. You know what tumbling is . If it was up to me, cheerleading would be slickedback ponytail with natural makeup. Reporter unfortunately for gabby and her mom, cheer involves a lot of primping. Can you not touch my face. My back is out. You know this. And if i have to move, your head one more time, im not going to do it anymore. I can honestly say i have fought more with my children than anything, over hair. No. Reporter and its taken more than just an emotional toll. How much money would you say over the years, youve spent on supporting your daughter in cheer. Were in the hundreds of thousands. Reporter a lot of the money is spent on traveling to competitions. Luckily for this cheer family thats split across the country, its a perfect excuse for a reunion. Im seeing my dad and my sister for the first time. I havent seen them in like forever. Its very much about being together as a family. And the time, supporting each other. We make a big sacrifice. Were doing it because we love it. Reporter gabby is getting made up yet again. This time, for a photo shoot, where she meets up with carly. I always wanted to meet you, too. Reporter they can be casualties of their own fame. People do definitely see things on instagram and twitter and jump to conclusions really fast. That comes with stories and rumors and things like that. Reporter carly and her boyfriend, matt, are the reigning cheer couple online, with sites dwoed devoted to their relationship. I used to be at magazines and say, i cant believe she did that. Until i was in this situation, where i was under a little microscope. Reporter but they are still kids, exposed to the danger that can come with this kind of attention. When you read comments, that people say, get in my bed thats a little over the edge. Reporter does it bother you that theres so much sexualization of the sport . Cheerleading is one of the most sexual sports. You have cheerleaders Walking Around in halftops with their stomachs showing. We dont dress that we for attention. We dress that way because thats our wardrobe. I love him being a cheerleader. Reporter michael is also a budding celebrity. But hes not your typical cheerleader. Hes a football player. But he was better than the cheerleaders that were cheering for him. Ive done so many sports. This is the hardest sports ive ever done. Reporter he actually turned to cheer because of football. Wanted to do a back flip if i scored a touchdown. Football is like a brotherhood. But cheer is performing. Its doing it in front of a crowd and feeling like a rock star for 2 30. Reporter being a male cheerleader has its challenges. I didnt want anybody to know i was a cheerleader. If anyone asks me, im going to own up to it. Reporter Michael Eddies family had little trouble accepting his decision. They were already a cheer family. His sister was, in part, his inspiration. Cheer was the thing that girls did. Once my son was involved i saw the conditioning that they had in the cheer program. I developed a lot of respect. For cheer. Reporter now, at 19, Michael Eddie is about to age out of his team. So, the upcoming World Championships are his final hoorah. Got a thirdconsecutive world title i want to win. I have to be a good leader on my team. Come on. Everyones coming. Dont want to be distracted right now. This is my last year. I want to make it solid. Reporter for gabby and Michael Eddie, its their last chance to practice at home before they have to defend their world title. Do you guys want to end . Do you want to feel confident . But theyre not looking like the champions theyre known to be. Theres no reason this stuff should be falling. Reporter after three mistakes, coach eddie had had enough. Three mistakes in one section is not acceptable. I can cool off a little bit, as well. Definitely punishment. To the finish line. Its ag in life, its how you get there that matters most. Its important to know the difference. Like when i found out i had a blood clot in my leg. My doctor said that it could travel to my lungs and become an even bigger problem. And that i had to take action. So he talked to me about xarelto®. [ male announcer ] xarelto® is the first oral prescription blood thinner proven to treat and help prevent dvt and pe that doesnt require regular blood monitoring or changes to your diet. [ brian ] for a prior dvt i took warfarin, which required routine blood testing and dietary restrictions. Not this time. While i was taking xarelto®, i still had to stop racing, but i didnt have to deal with that blood monitoring routine. You made great time. I found another way. [ male announcer ] dont stop taking xarelto®, rivaroxaban, unless your doctor tells you to. While taking xarelto®, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. Xarelto® may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. Xarelto® can cause serious bleeding, and in rare cases, may be fatal. Get help right away if you develop unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. If you have had spinal anesthesia while on xarelto®, watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle related signs or symptoms. Do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. Tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. Before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. Xarelto® is proven to reduce the risk of dvt and pe. With xarelto® there is no regular blood monitoring and no known dietary restrictions. Treatment with xarelto® was the right move for me. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about xarelto® today. For more information including savings options, download the xarelto® Patient Center app, call 1888xarelto, or visit teamxarelto. Com. Were back, now, as our cheerlebrities get ready for the ultimate competition. Training time is over, as the day that counts is finally here. No more time for practice. And definitely no more time for mistakes. For those seeking scholarships, its do or die. But everybodys hungry for gold. And there can only be one winner. Here, again, is abcs Bianna Golodryga. Reporter after a year of training and thousands of miles of travel, the World Championships are finally here. Weve been traveling for almost eight hours today. And still havent slept. Reporter this is anywhere last practice before they all take the floor. Im glad were having this last practice so we can make sure were really confident going into worlds. Reporter flying through their routines with perfection, they are on a high. Five. Reporter praying for victory tomorrow. Wont be beat. Reporter the morning of the finals the Butler Family is off to a rough start. You need one like that is what youre telling me . It is very much chaos right now. Shes hungry. Shes tired. Stressed. So much to do. They have to have their hair and makeup done. Its a project. You didnt realize theres an actual art to doing this. You look beautiful already. The biggest competition of the year, they trained all year for this. Can we just fold it over . Please. Thats the job of a cheer dad to try to keep the sanity in all this chaos. Wildcats will meet in one hour. Im more excited than nervous, i think. Im just ready to go. Im just nervous. Im so nervous. Im just, like, since i woke up this morning, just have butterflies. Reporter with his team waiting, Michael Eddie is suddenly in crisis mode. He cant find his credentials. Without it, he cant compete. What did you forget . Are you really . [ bleep ]. I dont have my thing to get in. Are you kidding me right now . Five minutes. Im not going to get to defend the title for a fourpeat. Seven years comes down to today. My gosh. Its stressful. Reporter carly has nerves of steel. The pressure never seems to shake her. Im thinking about what i need to do to be my best today. Reporter all the work these families have put in is on the line. Your adrenaline is rushing and your anxiety and your hearts about to pop out of your chest and you feel like youre going to vomit. And hope and pray they can handle the heat. Reporter the best of the best are all here. People are always saying, youre going to take a threepeat. Constantly. Its like, my gosh. Stop saying that. Were so superstitious. Reporter soon enough, Michael Eddie and gabby take the floor. Were not Holding Anything back. Were going to fight to the very end, no matter what happens. We will fight. Reporter and they do. They nailed their routine. Up next, carlys team, the wildcats. Theyre competing in a different division. Today, i just want to go out there and just kill it. Reporter for carly, Michael Eddie and gabby, the years of hard work pay off. Both teams win gold. The high of victory is shortlived. For these athletes, cheer is everything. Gabby is deciding whether to keep living apart from her family. Its a possibility that i wont go back. At the same time, its a possibility that i will. Its kind of like a 50 50. Shes going back. Ill tell you that. She said the same exactling last year. Reporter Michael Eddie is grappling with aging out. Its an addiction. Youre away from it, i want to work my butt off for a championship. Or for something greater. Im addicted to cheerleading is something im going to want to do until im too old to do it. I think i want to do it until my body breaks. Reporter for nightline, im Bianna Golodryga, in dallas, texas. Next on nightline, were going to the crossfit games. Millions of americans pushing themselves to extremes. But is site really safe . woman the constipation and belly pain feel tight like a vise. How can i ease this pain . man when i cant go, its like rocks piling up. I wish i could find some relief. announcer ask your doctor about linzess a oncedaily capsule for adults with ibs with constipation or chronic idiopathic constipation. Linzess is thought to help calm painsensing nerves and accelerate bowel movements. It helps you proactively manage your symptoms. Do not give linzess to children under 6, and it should not be given to children 6 to 17. It may harm them. Dont take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. Get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain especially with bloody or black stools. The most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. If its severe, stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. Other side effects include, gas, stomacharea pain and swelling. Bottom line, ask your doctor about linzess today. Eating healthier,tion by drinking plenty of water, but still not getting relief . Try dulcolax laxative tablets. Dulcolax is comfortcoated for gentle, overnight relief. Dulcolax. Predictable overnight relief you can count on. Box now at h. H. Gregg, you can save up to 2 off storewide. Plus, get another 5 off instantly with your h. H. Gregg card. Get this whirlpool stainless steel three door refgerator now only 1499. Or a samsung 55 smart tv for just 788. For these amazing deals, and the boxes they come in, hurry to h. H. Gregg, and fill your home with happy. Tomorrow night on nightline, its the extreme fitness trend with millions of disciples. Crossfit gospel has members puing themselves to the limit. But are they pushing too far . This may just be the most extreme fitness competition on earth. A triumph of mind over muscle. Another man who is in the top five in the world in that regional event, james hobart. Reporter 28yearold james hobart is on a quest to be the fittest man on the planet. Dont get caught up looking left and right. Youd be better off keeping your head down and staying moving. Reporter hes competing in 13 grueling events under the harsh sun of southern california. Crossfit has become a national sensation. Millions of americans are obsessed with the highintensity Strength Training program. And its hard to argue with a body of evidence like this. Crossfit is also at the center of a fierce controversy. Accused of pushing people too hard too fast. No matter the consequences. The devotees insist these exercisers arent to blame. The program is very safe. When applied properly with coaching and instruction. Reporter now, theyre competing in the ultimate smackdown, the crossfit games. Thats tomorrow night. We go inside the crossfit games, where theyll crown the fittest man and woman. Make sure to tune in right here on nightline. Thanks for watching abc news. World news now is coming up soon with overnight breaking news. Tune into Good Morning America [cheers and applause] hey hey. Whats going on, buddy . What up . What up, dog . What up, buddy . What up . What up . What up . What up . Hey, man. Hey. There he is. Lets go. Lets go on over there. [cheers and applause] yeah. [cheers and applause] hello and welcome to millionaire. Todays returning contestant is a broadway actor currently starring in jersey boys. Hes about to face his 100,000 question. From brooklyn, new york, yall give it up for peter gregus. Peter. Whoo [laughs] peter, youve been playing great, man. Youre about to play for 100,000. Tell me what that kind of money means to you, man. You know, cedric, i, uh ive had the Good Opportunity to have my dream job for 30 years as an actor and been paid for it and paid well, and, you know and, uh, im really lucky. Im so lucky, and i want to use that money for my retirement, you know, to go into my next life, which is to be underwater. Im a scuba diver, and i love it down there, and i want to learn how to teach and take people on dive trips. With that great head of hair, you gonna actually cover it up. Yes. Greatits wonderful hair to be underwater like that. [laughs] i know. It looks good underwater, though. It goes like this. Yeah, that seems sweet. I got a shoutout you got aaron with you, yo