Balancing Dentistry and Cheer: USask Students Prepare for Nationals

When most people think about dental school, they imagine long hours of studying, hands-on labs, and the pressure of exams and clinical work. Few would pair that with the intense commitment of competitive cheerleading. Yet for second-year Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) students Nadia Ahmadi and Daniel Tylutki, balancing both is not just possible, it’s become a source of strength.

Ahmadi and Tylutki are members of the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Cheer team, which will represent the university at the 2026 Scholastic National Championship in Montréal, Québec, on February 21–22, 2026. The competition is one of the biggest events of the season, bringing together scholastic teams from across Canada. For both students, the journey to the national stage is about more than just perfecting stunts, it’s about discipline, resilience, and community, both on the mat and in the classroom.

Nadia’s Path to Cheer

Ahmadi’s athletic background began in gymnastics before an injury shifted her path. She later discovered dance through her high school’s Pom team, eventually coaching after graduation. But the desire to be on a team herself never left.

“When I saw cheerleading tryouts happening at USask, I decided to give it a try,” she said. “Cheer felt like the perfect combination of my passions, gymnastics, dance, and strength training, and I quickly fell in love with it.”

Photo: Nadia Ahmadi competing in "Best of the West"

Now in her third year on the team and serving as one of the captains, Ahmadi helps connect the squad with the university and has even taken a leadership role in the team’s ratification process. For her, cheerleading is more than sport, it’s structure, motivation, and balance.

“My days are usually packed with classes, labs, and studying until late afternoon.” she explained. With practices running late into the evening three nights a week, she has learned to use every pocket of time wisely. “Cheer gives me structure and motivates me to manage my time efficiently.”

Daniel’s Journey into a New Sport

Unlike Ahmadi, Tylutki came to cheerleading later in life. A lifelong soccer and hockey player, he missed the competitive team environment when he moved from Ottawa to Saskatoon. That’s when Ahmadi encouraged him to try out for USask Cheer.

“I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to try a new sport while experiencing that competitive atmosphere again,” he said. “Cheerleading is unique, it’s teamwork, competition, and strength combined. I’ve really grown to enjoy it.”

Photo: Daniel Tylutki studying before a competition in Moose jaw

Now in his second year with the squad, Tylutki sees parallels between athletics and dentistry in terms of mindset and perseverance. He recalled one competition in Moose Jaw where he was studying for a pharmacology exam right up until 30 minutes before performing.

“Mixing dentistry and cheerleading is a unique challenge,” he said. “Both require dedication, perseverance, and mental fortitude. Cheer has helped me learn how to manage pressure and bounce back from failure, skills I carry directly into dental school.”

The Overlap Between Cheer and Dentistry

For both students, the lessons learned in cheerleading carry over seamlessly into their studies. Ahmadi emphasized the accountability required in a stunt group: “If one person misses practice or makes a mistake, it affects the whole group. That taught me responsibility, accountability, and resilience.”

Tylutki echoed that sentiment, noting that the constant process of failing and trying again in cheer mirrors dentistry. “In both, you fail over and over before you get it right. That mental resilience has been the most beneficial,” he said.

Photo: "Best of the West" cheer competition

Performing in front of a crowd also parallels the pressure of presenting in class or interacting with patients. “Once you’re on the floor, you have to commit fully, even if you’re nervous,” Ahmadi explained. “The same applies when explaining treatment plans, you need to project confidence so others can trust you.”

Tylutki agreed: “Both are nerve-racking, but the adrenaline and focus I get from cheer helps me prepare for presentations and patient interactions.”

Finding Balance in Demanding Schedules

Dental school is known for its intensity, with heavy course loads and high expectations. For Ahmadi and Tylutki, cheerleading provides the outlet they need to recharge.

“Cheer gives me a mental break,” said Ahmadi. “It’s like a reset button where I can focus on something else, which helps me come back to schoolwork refreshed.”

For Tylutki, the physical training aspect of cheer is just as important. “My conditioning sessions provide a break from studying and help me sharpen my focus when I return to academic work,” he said.

Shaping Future Dentists

Both students see their cheer experience as shaping not only who they are now, but also the dentists they aspire to be.

“Cheer has made me more resilient, disciplined, and confident,” Ahmadi reflected. “Dentistry is about teamwork, communication, and managing pressure, qualities cheer has prepared me for.”

Tylutki added: “I’ve learned the importance of relying on others to achieve a shared goal. Teamwork and resilience are traits I’ll carry into my future dental career.”

As they prepare for Nationals in Montréal, Ahmadi and Tylutki continue to embody what it means to thrive in two demanding worlds. With the same determination that drives them through dental school, they’re ready to hit the competition floor, proving that discipline, teamwork, and resilience are skills that translate far beyond the cheer mat.