VIDEO: A Day in the Life of a UM Cheerleader

Jane Rob Pannell/Oxford Stories
jrpanne1@go.olemiss.edu

Although the life of a normal college student seems crazy and hectic, it doesn’t compare to the life of an Ole Miss cheerleader.

Betsy Edwards wakes up every morning at 5:30 a.m. so she can make it to her morning workouts by 6 a.m. She usually makes a light breakfast and likes to play loud, hype music in the car. At morning workouts, she does strength training and cardio. 

After working out, the Birmingham native returns home to participate in Zoom calls and complete her schoolwork for the week. After school, she watches a little Netflix or takes a quick cat nap to relax.

Then, she makes a salad or light meal before practice or open gym. On this day, she did not have practice, but attended the optional open gym. Edwards said she enjoys attending open gym because it helps her maintain her skills and practice new ones. Her favorite tumbling skill is called a “rewind.” 

After practice or open gym, Edwards enjoys going home and hanging out with her friends. She loves sitting on her porch swing at her apartment and watching the sun set. She also enjoys going on afternoon walks at Pat Lamar Park or doing yoga to help with flexibility. 

By this time of day, any student athlete is worn out. Edwards said she usually picks up dinner from her sorority house, Chi Omega. They usually offer a variety of healthy options, for which she is thankful. After dinner, she showers and tries to get in bed early so she can wake up and do it all over again.