Bursary | Cheer Manitoba

ronan barsy bursary

Ronan Barsy was a cheer athlete for only a short few years but over that period of time, Ronan became a huge supporter of the Cheer Manitoba community by always lending a hand, assisting financially when it was needed and just being a quiet supporter of our sport. Ronan never expected anything in return and certainly did not want to be praised for his contributions. He just wanted to see the sport thrive in Manitoba.

Ronan was a transgender athlete – the first in our sport in Manitoba. His transition really started when his Central Cheer family gave him the choice to wear a male uniform or a female uniform. According to his friends, this was one of the first acts of acceptance he received as he began his journey towards revealing his true authentic self and it gave him the courage to continue on with his transition.

In 2022, Ronan was diagnosed with cancer and, after a short 3 month battle, died of this terrible disease. As a way to honour his love of cheerleading and his contributions to the cheer community in Manitoba, Ronan’s friends, in partnership with Cheer Manitoba, have decided to start the Ronan Barsy Bursary. This bursary will be handed out to a deserving athlete each year to help pay for their cheerleading fees for the next season.

The $500 bursary will be handed out annually to a deserving athlete to help pay for their cheerleading fees for the following season.

Nomination Criteria:

We are looking for nominees that embody the light and kindness that Ronan brought to the sport locally. The nominee is someone who gives of their time to impact the cheer community. They display kindness and acceptance of athletes from their own program and other programs. They go above and beyond to help make the community a better place for all athletes, coaches and families. They are humble and contribute out of pure love for the sport without looking for praise or recognition.
The athlete must be nominated by a coach, fellow athlete or community member that is not a direct family member.
This athlete must be a registered athlete with Cheer Manitoba.
The athlete can be an all star or scholastic athlete.
The athlete must be continuing in cheerleading the following season in order to accept the bursary as the funds are going to be used specifically towards cheerleading fees.

Nominations will open in February and the bursary will be handed out at Provincials.