So you want to be an NFL cheerleader but you’re afraid that you might be too old. Think again. At the ripe, young age of 42, Laura Vikmanis picked up her pom-poms and lived out her dream.
While watching an NFL game a couple of years ago, the light bulb went off inside Vikmanis’ head. She watched a squad of cheerleaders give it all they had, win or lose, smiles on their faces for their team.
She first tried out for the squad at age 39 and didn’t make it, but that only made her more determined. For the next year she focused on her fitness, then she tried out again. The rest, as they say, is history.
Vikmanis, a mom of two, may be one of the oldest girls on the sidelines every time she puts on her Ben-Gals uniform, but she’s proud to serve as an inspiration for other moms who haven’t yet realized their dreams.
It’s really her two daughters, Lila, 14; and Alexa, 12, that she’s most eager to inspire.
Laura says, “I look at myself as a role model for my children to show them no matter what age or dream you have, you can work really hard and achieve it.”
