Man Vows to Become 'First Male Broncos Cheerleader'
Sacha Heppell, a man from Denver, Colo., was among 300 women who turned out to audition for a cheerleading position on the Denver Broncos squad.
Heppell arrived at the Sports Authority Field at Mile High where cheer squad hopefuls were asked to learn a routine of required turns, leaps, kicks and simple choreography on the spot and before performing in a small group before the judges, according to KUSA.
"I'm going to try out to be the first male Broncos cheerleader. Ever! It's huge. I'm excited, totally thrilled. No male has ever made it through auditions. I don't even know if a male made it to the auditions," Heppell told KUSA.
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Although Heppell has no prior cheerleading or dance experience, he confidently auditioned before the judges, where he failed to make the cut.
"I'm a little disappointed. I gave it all I got," Heppell said, though he remained undeterred in pursuit of his dream. "I'm going to continue to practice throughout this year, and I will be back next year."
Male hopefuls are reportedly welcome to try out, although the Broncos squad is yet to accept its first ever male cheerleader.
"It's an open call, so anyone can show up and try out," a member of the judging panel said, adding that the decision on whether to accept a male hopeful would be based on his "dance ability" alone.
The news comes just weeks after a 55-year-old grandmother vowed to audition for a spot on the Dallas Cowboys cheer squad in May.
Sharon Simmons, a certified personal trainer and nutritionist, said that she previously lacked the courage to pursue her professional cheerleading dreams during her 20s.
"Now I'm not afraid. I'm more mature. I know what to do. I don't see a number. If I do, it's just a number. It's not that I can't keep up with [younger women] in the physical part of the training," Simmons told ABC.
