Mississippi resident Kriste Lewis is no ordinary 40-year-old married mother of two.
Lewis, of Hattiesberg, is also a longtime dancer, a former teacher and as of April, the newest edition to the New Orleans Saintsations cheerleading team.
In an ABC News interview, Lewis recalls how thrilled she was to find out she beat three rounds of cheerleading tryouts and was chosen out of 36 women, most of whom were at least a decade younger than her.
"The day I got the news I was really beside myself," Lewis said. "It was really exciting."
Not only did the dance instructor overcome the stigma against her age, she also overcame a disease that will slowly debilitate her.
"Fourteen years ago I was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease," Lewis told the station. "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," she added. "I didn't want to waste a day."
It was always a dream of Lewis' to become a Saintsations cheerleader. She spent six months doing fitness training and extra dancing to prepare for the auditions, The Clarion-Ledger reported. By April she was ready to celebrate the big 4-0 by trying out for the team.
"There were a lot of young, beautiful girls," Lewis told ABC News. "It was a fear. I will not lie."
But it was her husband's motto, "focus and fun," that got her through the auditions. She is also thankful for the support of her two sons, ages 14 and 11.
"It's just amazing to watch her dance," Tom told ABC News.
Lewis said she watched her mother go through two kidney transplants, both of which her body rejected, The Ledger reported. As she waits for the first home game in September, Lewis hopes to inspire other mothers to always remember what they love in life and to go for it.
"I hope I don't pass out...If I died tomorrow, I'm good. I'm a happy girl," she told Ledger. "It's been a blast."
