If you haven’t heard of Sharon Simmons, you might want to dust your Google skills off. She’s the 55 year old grandmother who tried out for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Apparently, it’s always been a dream of Simmons’, one that apparently got sidetracked when she gave birth to her daughter.
Simmons also says she lacked the ability and the courage all those years ago.
Now, apparently, is her time to shine, or at least hold on to her fleeting youth as strongly as she can. I’m not trying to be flippant here, but after seeing her images after a quick Google Images search, I’m convinced this is the kind of woman who would willingly shop at Forever 21, not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s also pretty clear she should give at least some partial credit to Photoshop’s filters for her smoothed out appearance.
For instance, compare the following photos (here and here) and if I’m wrong about the filter use, I’ll certainly apologize.
Digression aside, you can’t knock someone for pursuing their dreams, no matter how much it screams “pay attention to me!!!!” Another service that didn’t miss out on Simmons’ cheerleader audition is the group at Next Media Animation, the animated satirical look at the news from our friends in Taiwan. Their take is pretty funny, and it feels like there’s a hint of accuracy in it, especially when Simmons gives birth:
Facetiousness aside, more power to Simmons for pursuing her dream, and if she makes the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, she’ll be the oldest to do so by almost 13 years. The Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader squad includes Laura Vikmanis, who holds the record for being the oldest cheerleader in the NFL. Does Vikmanis view Simmons as a challenge or is there room for more grandmothers in the world of cheerleading? [Via With Leather]