Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders' locker room
When you think of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, it's easy to conjure up images of taut, fit, and hot-as-all-get-out 20-something's in tight tops and short skirts. These cheerleaders and models grace posters and calendars sold by the bagfuls all over the country. Yet, Sharon Simmons is out to change all of that -- and not in the way you might think. This tough-as-nails 55-year-old grandma is trying out for the team next season and has become an instant dose of inspiration to everyone wanting to obtain a fitness goal and a life-long dream.
From 22 to 55
Sharon isn't your average 55 year old. She is a successful fitness competitor (winning nine titles in five years), an accomplished author and an actress. Now, Simmons has her sights on adding professional cheerleader to her already jaw-dropping resume.
Why now?
Being a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader was a lifelong dream for Simmons. In fact, she got close to trying out in her 20's but "got busy" raising her daughter. A single mother, with a lot on her plate, Simmons put off her dreams in favor of motherhood. Now that her babies have babies, nothing can get in her way, save the selection squad.
Age Isn't a Number
To Simmons age isn't a number; it's a state of mind. She is confident that she can keep up with the young bucks on the team and carries herself with the poise and confidence that only age and wisdom can bestow.
Simmons will be 56-years-old at the start of the upcoming football season and would be the oldest cheerleader in the NFL, essentially making NFL history. As it stands, 43-year-old Laura Vikmanis, of the Cincinnati Bengals, is the oldest cheerleader in the league. The only question that remains is whether or not the franchise will give up its 20-something sex appeal in favor of giving America's new favorite grandma a shot at greatness. If Sharon makes the cut, she will show the world that fitness (and dreams) are achievable irrespective of your birth date.
