Teagan: Finding Real Friendship, Real Confidence, and Her Real Self
The first time Teagan arrived at Muskoka Woods, she didn’t know a single person. She remembers walking down to take the swim test, nerves creeping in as she wondered how the week might unfold. Before she even got her toes wet, three girls from her cabin came over, introduced themselves, and said, “Let’s do this together.” By the time they left the beach, they were laughing like old friends. They still are.
Those kinds of moments are what make camp feel like more than just a place to Teagan.
Back home in the city, she sometimes feels like she has to act a certain way. There’s a layer of pressure. People can seem guarded or distant. But something shifts at Muskoka Woods. “Everyone’s just more themselves, more open, and honestly, just kinder,” she says. That kind of environment makes it easier for her to show up as her real self too.
And that shift stuck with her.
She remembers meeting a girl last summer who, if they’d crossed paths in the city, would’ve seemed too intimidating to talk to. But at camp, that same girl turned out to be warm, hilarious, and one of the most supportive people Teagan had ever met. By the end of the week, they were close friends. Even now, they text every day. “People aren’t always what they look like. Camp showed me that,” she says.
Those friendships, layered with the Muskoka Woods culture of encouragement and acceptance, gave Teagan a new kind of confidence. “Last summer I left camp and decided I was going to be myself in the city too. Camp teaches you it’s okay — you’ll be accepted for who you are.”
From Prep Team to Cheer Worlds
Outside of camp, cheer is her whole universe. She started on a small prep team and worked her way up to one of the highest levels in the sport — competing at Worlds.
When she talks about cheer, her whole face lights up.
She remembers being a little girl watching the senior athletes and thinking, *I’ll never be that good.* Now she’s one of them. She’s heading to Worlds for the second time as part of one of Canada’s top teams. And one of the things that fuels her? The cheerlebrities. The athletes and coaches she used to look up to now know her name.
One of those role models coached her at a workshop when she was younger. Years later, Teagan saw her again at a major event. “I finally got to tell her she was my inspiration. That moment meant everything.”
Cheer has shaped who she is. It’s taught her discipline, bravery, and what it looks like to lift others up — even when things don’t go to plan.
A Rising Actor With Big Dreams
Acting is another part of Teagan’s world. She started at age four and was hooked from her very first time on set. She loved the buzz of the crew, the fun of playing different roles, and the energy of being part of something creative. Acting has taken her onto major sets with well-known names, but what she remembers most isn’t who she worked with — it’s the friendships she made.
“You don’t meet people as celebrities,” she says. “You meet them as people. And those connections last.”
Shaping Her World With Courage and Kindness
Whether she’s on a cheer mat, in front of a camera, or soaking up every second at camp, Teagan is doing her best to lead with heart and help others do the same. Her advice to younger guests?
“Just be yourself. If someone judges you, that’s their insecurity, not yours. When you find the right people — and you will — you’ll be accepted exactly as you are.”
And for anyone who hasn’t been to Muskoka Woods yet?
“It’s the best week of my life. You walk in nervous and walk out with memories that stick with you forever. The friendships are real. The joy is real. And you feel like you belong from the very first day.”
