Laura Vikmanis

Biography

Raised in Springboro, Ohio, Laura Vikmanis began dancing with Dance Theater Dayton and later cheered at John F. Kennedy Junior High. She graduated from Fairmont High School in 1986, where she performed with the Firebird Drill Team. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Food Administration from California State University, Long Beach, and works as a certified dietitian and personal trainer. Though raised Presbyterian, she married a Roman Catholic in a Catholic ceremony and had two daughters, both competitive cheerleaders. After divorcing, she entered professional cheerleading. In 2018, she publicly opposed gender-based discrimination in the NFL.

Career

Vikmanis works as a registered dietitian nutritionist for Kettering Health's Bariatric Surgery program, providing pre and post bariatric surgery nutrition education, weight loss, weight management, and cardiovascular nutrition. She also teaches group fitness classes and offers private personal training. She tried out for the Ben–Gals at age 39, reaching the finals but not making the team; she tried out again the following season and made the squad in 2009.

Her publicity led to appearances on various television networks and talk shows. In March 2012, her book It's Not About the Pom-Poms, co-written with Amy Sohn, was released. In 2012, Sharon Simmons, at 55, would have surpassed her as the oldest cheerleader but did not make the squad. Vikmanis remained a Ben–Gal for six years. In 2011, New Line Cinema acquired rights to make a film about her life, but no film had been released as of 2021.