Sawyer Damiani, 8, and her dad Anthony have gone viral for performing daring cheer stunts on TikTok and Instagram
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Anthony says safety and trust are priorities before attempting any stunts with Sawyer, who started tumbling at age 4
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Their viral fame has strengthened their bond, with Anthony emphasizing the importance of overcoming fear and self-doubt
When Sawyer Damiani was just 3 years old, she would sit and watch her dad, Anthony, coach stunting. Then one day, after observing one of his lessons, Sawyer turned to him and said, “Daddy, my turn!”
From that moment on, Anthony, 38, says his daughter constantly begged to learn stunts and tumbling herself. Now, at just 8 years old, Sawyer and Anthony are going viral on social media for their jaw-dropping — and often terrifying — cheer stunts, amassing more than 350,000 followers acrossTikTokandInstagram, with many of their videos reaching millions of views.
In many of the clips, Sawyer can be seen being launched several feet into the air while performing flips, twists and one-arm stunt combinations that leave viewers both impressed and horrified in the comments.
As their videos continue spreading online, many viewers have questioned how Anthony is able to stay calm while tossing his young daughter through the air during such dangerous routines.
“Oh man, the most difficult would probably have to be either the ‘unicorn’ stunt we did a couple years ago — the back handspring double front flip stunt — or the one-arm double backflip stunt we did a month ago,” Anthony, who lives with his family in Gilbert, Ariz., tells PEOPLE exclusively.
“Both were equally difficult and definitely nerve-wracking,” he adds.
Looking back, Anthony says he first realized Sawyer had a natural talent for stunting when she successfully performed a back handspring up at just 4 years old.
“It was very surreal,” he recalls. “I couldn’t believe she did it so well on the first try. Everyone in the gym who was watching shouted in excitement seeing this little girl do such a big stunt. She was only 4 years old.”
Still, Anthony admits the stunts can be intimidating, especially because of how dangerous they can appear online. He says safety and trust are always the top priorities before they attempt any new skill together.
“We are lucky to have so many good and knowledgeable coaches in our gym that can spot us while attempting and learning these insane stunts,” he explains. “Trust-wise, I won’t throw her in a skill unless we’ve done multiple drills beforehand, as well as making sure she understands exactly what we’re doing.”
For Sawyer, she says the most important part of performing the stunts is knowing the person throwing her into the air is someone she completely trusts.
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“I like having somebody I know really well and trust to keep me safe while doing these crazy stunts,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Anthony says one of the most surprising parts of going viral has been seeing how many older athletes look up to his daughter despite her age.
“She’s had a lot of times where people come up to her and are in shock and say, ‘Oh my gosh, is that Lil Miss Soy Sauce?’ ” he says.
“If we’re at a cheer event, she’ll have people come up and ask for a picture,” he adds. “But in our normal day-to-day life, she gets to just be a normal kid, play with friends and still do chores and homework.”
Beyond the viral fame and dangerous stunts, Anthony says the experience has ultimately strengthened his relationship with his daughter.
“It’s taught me to be present,” he says. “I never truly knew how much the time I spent with her mattered and how much she cherished that one-on-one time. It’s shown me how big of an impact a father can have on their child’s life.”
For Sawyer, the best part of cheering with her dad is much simpler.
“That we get to spend time together, have fun and try crazy new skills together,” she says.
As for what they hope viewers take away from their videos, Anthony says he wants people to relate to their fears and doubts — even while attempting seemingly impossible stunts.
“I hope people take away that not everything is going to be perfect all the time,” he says. “Everyone experiences self-doubt and fear. But just because we have those thoughts or fears doesn’t define you or your ability to achieve your goals and dreams.”
Read the original article onPeople