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Tucson cheer community comes together after passing of coach

Chaos Elite Cheer Gym
Posted at 10:34 PM, May 10, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-11 01:35:30-04

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Inside Chaos Elite Cheer, young athletes put in hours of hard work each week.

"It's been my life. I've been cheering for my entire life," said Chaos Elite Cheerleader, Asia Dinius.

Dinius leaves it all on the mat and learned everything she knows from her coach, Luis Martinez.

"He's impacted a lot. He was like my dad. Every time that I came here, when he was here, I just wanted to do better and make myself better. He's had that impact throughout my entire life," said Dinius.

Martinez passed away suddenly in December. Today, his students continue to cheer in his honor.

"This gym was open, not as a business, but more for his kids. To teach them, to help them, to take them to the next level," said Martinez's sister, Malena Corral.

Corral has stepped in to keep her brother's gym open.

"Now that I'm here, I can tell you that it's not a gym he founded. It's a family," said Corral.

The team just returned from a big international competition and it won't be their last.

"At this big competition, we were fighting for him...to keep Luis' name, his legacy, out there. We did it for him," said Corral.

This summer, Chaos Elite Cheer is moving to a new, larger location on the northwest side. Corral said expanding the gym was a long time dream for Martinez.
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