One of the hardest-working competitors to hit the field at the Super Bowl this weekend isn’t a football player — she’s a stunning Seahawks cheerleader who is also a first lieutenant in the US Air Force.
Rookie “Sea Gal” Alicia Quaco, 25, works long days as a contract manager for the Air Force before rushing to evening cheerleading practice, where she trades camouflage fatigues for tiny shorts, glittery makeup and pompoms.
“It’s a lot of costume changes. I don’t get to wear normal clothes very often. And I have hardly any free time,” she said.
Before taking on the demanding double life, she first had to convince her military higher-ups in a formal presentation to let her moonlight as a Sea Gal after trying out for the squad last year, she said.
“I told them it’s good for recruitment. It shows that the Air Force is well-rounded, that we can do other things, too. It’s great for women recruits to know that,” said Quaco.
“Ultimately, they ended up agreeing.”
The San Diego-born blond bombshell was inspired to become a service member by her Green Beret brother — but her mom insisted she first go to college.
So Quaco enrolled in the Air Force Academy, where she also took up cheerleading. Graduating in 2010, she moved to Mississippi, then Seattle, where she tried out for the Sea Gals — a job that requires tricky midair splits, choreographed dancing and endless enthusiasm.
She now stands out on the squad of 32 women, most of whom have second jobs in the fields of beauty, fashion and fitness.
The Sea Gals have spent the past week prepping a special routine for the big game, in which the Seahawks will battle the Broncos at MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford on Sunday, Quaco said.
“We’ve had to step up our game, too. We’re running through new routines with new music. We also had to get matching new winter coats to prepare for the cold,” she said.
A structured military life has helped her hone her on-field skills, she said.
“[In both jobs], there is a lot of standing in lines and doing the same thing as the person next you, working in unison as a team,” she said.
The toughest part of both jobs, Quaco said, is the sense of responsibility that comes with being part of a team.
“In uniform, you’re expected to act a certain way. People are always watching,” she said.
“We’re really excited to be in New York,” Quaco said. “There are some girls on the team who have never been there before.”
On her Facebook page she wrote, “I still cannot believe that next week we will be in New York!”