Injured Magic cheerleader opens up about fall, recovery

ORLANDO, Fla. — Nearly two weeks after an Orlando magic cheerleader fell off her partner's shoulders, she is speaking about what happened.

Jamie Woode was performing a stunt when she fell to the basketball court, fracturing three vertebrae and breaking a rib.

"Every day, I feel a little bit better," said Woode.

She is wearing a brace after what doctors call a successful back surgery.

"Things like this happen, and we can't dwell on the past. [I am] just looking at getting myself better and healing myself up and moving on," said Woode.

Tens of thousands of fans were watching when Woode lost her footing as she climbed on a teammate's shoulders, then slammed onto the floor.

Friday, Woode called it a freak accident.

"It's a very basic stunt that I've done hundreds of thousands of times. Two feet were supposed to land on his shoulders, and only one made it," Woode said.

In her 20 years of experience as a cheerleader, Woode said she's fallen hundreds of times, but this is the first time she was seriously hurt.

"I knew my back had been injured. I was just happy that I was able to move my hands and legs," she said.

Woode said the crowd gave her the inspiration to wave as she was being wheeled off the court on a stretcher. Both hands straight up in the air, she showed she had not lost her cheer.

"I heard the applause from the crowd, and it was just my way of thanking them," Woode said.

Woode said she will have to wear the brace for the next few months. She also told WFTV she is taking her recovery day by day, and if all goes as planned, she hopes to perform again.

"Falls happen. I know it's not going to stop me," she said.

While the stunt team is not scheduled to perform right now, Orlando Magic officials said it is expected to perform again later in the year.

WFTV