It’s not often that we here at Ladies… will recognize the efforts of a pro cheerleader. But after seeing all of the recent buzz around Laura Vikmanis and learning that she is the cousin of a friend in the OH circle, it was pretty hard not to admire her moxie and help share her story with the sports world. Who is Laura Vikmanis? More after the jump.
That right there is Laura Vikmanis. 42 years old, mother of two, cheerleader for the Cincinnati Bengals (the Ben-Gals), and the oldest cheerleader currently in the NFL. Pretty. Damn. Impressive.
In a video on Yahoo’s Second Act, Laura explains how intimidating it was for her to try out for the first time knowing that she was nearly twice the age of some of the recruits. But that certainly didn’t stop her – after not making it on her first try, she focused hard on fitness for the next year and eventually made the squad. Her commitment to fitness and to the job is inspiring to her fellow cheerleaders as well as women both young and old – she wanted it, she worked for it, she went for it and she did it! To a new role model in a different part of the game, we here at Ladies… salute you – a tip of the pom pom to you, Laura!