Kriste Lewis always dreamed of being an NFL cheerleader.
Well, her dream has come true: She recently made the Saintsations, the New Orleans cheerleading squad.
While that doesn’t sound unique at all, this part of her story is:
She’s 40 years old and the mother of two boys, ages 11 and 14.
https://twitter.com/Saints/status/489111188525940736/
“There were a lot of young, beautiful girls,” Lewis told ABC News of her competition, who ranged in age from 18 to 30. “It was a fear. I will not lie.”
Lewis also has a kidney disease, which she discussed with “Good Morning America” this week.
“Fourteen years ago I was diagnosed with polysistic kidney disease,” Lewis said. “Eventually my kidneys will shut down [and] I will be in need of dialysis and in need of a transplant … That had a lot to do with me auditioning as well. I didn’t want to waste a day.”
Lewis said she can’t wait to run out on the field for the first time this season, and she has a message for all mothers:
“I think as moms we are hard-wired to give and we give and we give and we give,” she said. “I think it’s important to think back [to] what made you excited as a child.”