NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)- Way to go Kriste Lewis! She’s a 43-year old Saintsation cheerleader! Lewis just made the NFL Pro Bowl cheerleading squad. She will be representing the Saints and the Who Dat Nation at this year’s Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
Three years ago, Lewis made national headlines when she became one of the oldest NFL cheerleaders, at the age of 40. She’s the oldest woman to ever become a New Orleans Saintsation. She quickly became one of the most beloved Saintsations of all-time. For several years, she’s been featured in the Saintsations swimsuit calendar.
As a little girl she always wanted to be an NFL cheerleader. It wasn’t until her 40th birthday came along that she decided to mark the milestone by trying out.
“You got to remember what you enjoyed as a child. As adults we get stuck in our everyday grind and we forget what gave us joy as a child. Usually whatever gives you joy as a child, it will give you joy as an adult,” Lewis said.
Living in the moment is important to Kriste, especially because she knows in 10 years, she’ll face a health challenge.
“I have polycystic kidney disease, or PKD. It just means cysts grow on my kidneys. Around age 50, my kidneys will lose function and they’ll shut down. I’ll need dialysis and a transplant. I don’t want to waste any time. I want to make memories. That is what this whole experience has been all about,” Lewis said.
Lewis is married to her husband, Tim, and they have two children: Jake and Rob.
The Pro Bowl is Sunday, January 29th.
