40-year-old mom Kriste Lewis becomes Saints cheerleader
By Dan Zinski
Hattiesburg, Mississippi’s Brett Favre came out of retirement at the age of 40 and led the Minnesota Vikings to the verge of the Super Bowl. Now, another Hattiesburg resident has defied father time by making it to an NFL squad at the age of 40.
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This 40-year-old sensation happens to be a woman with two kids. Kriste Lewis of Hattiesburg has pulled off the unlikely feat of scoring a spot on the New Orleans Saints’ Saintsations cheerleading squad.
Lewis told Good Morning America that it’s always been her dream to be an NFL cheerleader. She admits that she was a little intimidated by all the much younger women also trying out for the squad (via Bleacher Report):
"There were a lot of young, beautiful girls [at tryouts]. It was a fear. I will not lie."
Besides being twice as old as most of her competitors, Lewis also has to battle an on-going kidney ailment. But Lewis treated the disease more as motivation than hindrance:
"Fourteen years ago I was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease. 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’ two boys expressed pride in their mother and said they’re jealous that she gets to be on the field with the Saints.
The story just gets more inspiring with each passing sentence. I am going to start blubbering here in a second. Kriste Lewis is actually the first good reason to root for the Saints in many a year.
Her presence almost makes the Saints likeable. Almost. But, they’re still the Saints. So screw them. But go Kriste.
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