Laura Vikmanis, a 1986 Fairmont High School graduate, is the oldest cheerleader to make a squad in NFL history. Laura made the Cincinnati Ben-Gals squad at the age 41. Laura is not just a cheerleader, she is role model to millions who encounter her story and mother to two special girls, daughters Lija, 13, and Alexa, 11, who are competitive cheerleaders themselves.
Laura commented, “I was extremely intimidated because all the girls seemed to be in their 20s or early 30s. … I definitely was surprised how nice all the girls are. You would think with 30 girls we could get pretty catty. But they are all so nice. We’re all very enthusiastic, very social. We all kind of feed off each other.”