Angela’s career as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader was preceded with dance, starting at a very young age, in a studio environment. She described her native country, Australia, as very different when speaking about sports and entertainment. Australia, or “Aussie,” as Angela calls it, does not have sports teams associated with college like the U.S. However, she danced for the National Rugby League for seven years. Her love for dance, encouragement from her instructor, and her desire to pursue the art further is what inspired Angela to come to the U.S. and tryout for the DCC.

Once she made DCC, Angela said that she simply took it one year at a time. She loved taking on the role as a Group leader in her 4th season and the leadership opportunity. Angela wanted to be a mentor for the new girls coming in. She says that even now– 5 years after cheering– she is still close to the girls she cheered with.

While spending time chatting with Angela, our conversation reminded me of the DCC sisterhood– that our bonds extend far and wide. That being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader is far more than the sidelines. Angela was engaged in her second season and is now married with a two year old son. While being a mom and wife, and she also works in Medical Device Sales. As Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, we wear many hats, and Angela is the perfect example of this.

As Angela reminisced on her years, she spoke of her time as Group Leader in her final two years. She said that her mindset was “here to dance.” She was going to be finished after her 4th season, as most of her Rookie sisters were leaving too. She decided to stay one more year, inspired by her teammate’s mantra, “Victory Lap.” Angela said that in this last year, she wanted to focus less on stress, and to just have fun. Angela reflected on the continued traditions: cameos, banner ribbons, and the signature routine. She then spoke with so much gratitude and appreciation when talking about another important tradition – children’s hospital visits. This is by far one of my favorite experiences as a DCC, so I was “all ears” and overjoyed to hear Angela’s perspective. She described these visits as “the best day ever” because the kiddos go through so much,  it is cool to see them forget about all of their troubles and be filled with true joy.

Of course, with anything comes its share of challenges. After deciding to try out for one final year, Angela tore her hamstring during Training Camp. This hit Angela pretty hard. She was so used to being there for everyone, and she felt like she could not give her absolute 100%. She became a bit insecure through the training camp process; she described this period as the hardest part of her career. Even though training camp was tough, Angela did not give up. She continued to push on.

Although home for Angela was very different and distant, to say the least, Angela took a leap of faith. She decided to go for her dreams and rise to the challenge. All along the way, Angela made lifelong friends and memories. Angela spoke with gratitude from her experiences and is a proud Alumni to an esteemed organization. Thank you, Angela, for all you’ve done on and off the field!