When Kriste Lewis turned 40 last October, the Mississippi mother of two decided a good way to mark the milestone was trying out for the New Orleans Saints cheerleading squad, the Saintsations.
Still, after months of practice, she second-guessed herself when the first day of auctions arrived.
“I sat in my car for about 20 minutes watching the young girls go in. They were beautiful, and I thought, ‘I’m 40. My time has passed. They’re going to laugh at me,'” she told People of the April auditions. “I knew I needed to cross the finish line. So I went inside and jumped in.”
At the end of the month, she learned she beat out more than 150 hopefuls — including some half her age — for one of the 36 spots on the squad.
“I just stood there shaking and crying,” Kriste recalled. “When I called [my husband] Tim, he was so emotional that he couldn’t even speak.”
Even though Kriste was shocked, Saintsations Director Lesslee Fitzmorris said it was a unanimous decision on their part.
“She is the definition of a cheerleader,” the cheer director said. “She is actively cheering on those who share a story of overcoming adversity to achieve your goal. Her story is inspiring young and old alike.”
Even more impressively, age wasn’t Kriste’s only obstacle: She was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease more than a decade ago.
“I know there is no cure for and I know that I will be on dialysis and in need of a transplant, but I could be killed in a car wreck tomorrow,” she told her hometown newspaper, The Hattiesburg American. “I think too many times we wait too late to start on our bucket lists. Start it while you feel good and can enjoy it.”
When Kriste makes her official game debut in August, she will be just one of two NFL cheerleaders over the age of 40. She said she’s most excited about the Saints vs. Packers game on Oct. 26, her 41st birthday.
“When I realized that I was like, ‘Holy cow. On my 41st birthday, I will have come full circle. I’ll be on the field in the Superdome, livin’ the dream.'”
Here’s more on Kriste’s story from her recent interview with GMA…
