Perth dancer Faith Ward lands ‘dream job' with Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

7NEWS

13 hours ago

Perth dancer, acrobat and model Faith Ward is the envy of cheerleaders around the world after securing her position on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader roster.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are world famous and the Netflix docuseries America's Sweethearts, which features the auditioning process and goes behind the scenes of the squad for an entire NFL season, is a global sensation.
The dance troop is particularly famous for its showstopping, high-octane routine to AC/DC's Thunderstruck.
The double-jointed Ward — who hails from New Zealand but moved to Australia when she was 10 — has been part of the brutal auditioning steps and yesterday revealed that she was one of six rookies that will join the team of 36.
After she was presented with her iconic blue crop top, Ward then proceeded to tell her friends and family who were all blown away by the news.
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'Telling people I got my dream job,' was the caption on Ward's video, which showed the reactions of her overwhelmed friend.
'The best day of my life 😭😭,' she added.
Ward, who has more than 200,000 followers on TikTok, competed against thousands of aspiring cheerleaders that were vying for just six spots on the 36-woman squad, after she successfully made it through a rigorous application process.
It began with the wide-eyed dancer sending through dance photos and videos, with each applicant required to learn specific choreography in their auditions before being invited to Texas.
After making it through the first trials in June, Ward said, 'no matter the outcome, it'll be amazing to be part of the experience, and making it this far is already just incredible.'
Now the hard work has paid off ... fulfilling 'long-term dream' after reaching the pinnacle of the cheerleading world.
Born with double-jointed hips, Ward began working as a professional dancer at 18, performing on cruise ships — but now she will be on the big stage, in front of more than 90,000 people every game.
The cheerleaders that are affectionately called 'America's Sweethearts', support the American Football team the Dallas Cowboys, undoubtedly the biggest sports franchise in the world.
Despite the national pride the group carry for America, Ward isn't the first from Down Under to don the Lone Star — with the past DCC alumni including Aussies Angela Nicotera Brown and Jinelle Esther.
The hard work for Ward has only just begun, as members of the squad are required to put in hours equivalent to that of a full-time job — but she comes in at a golden time after the squad received a significant pay rise this off season.
Following heavy public scrutiny, the Cowboys franchise — which is worth more than $15b — has given the cheerleaders a 400 per cent pay rise, meaning Ward will pocket a salary of around $77,000.
But many argue the cheerleaders deserve more considering the time and effort they put in to keep up with the physical requirements of the role.
As the football team enters training camp, the cheerleaders will be entering their own with the first home preseason game for the Cowboys scheduled for August 17, before their season officially kicks off at their home turf in Arlington, Texas on September 15.