The life of an Atlanta Falcons Cheerleader is anything but easy. So much hard work, passion and dedication goes into everything they do year-round — from learning and tweaking dance routines to the countless hours they spend at community events.
It might seem like this week is a perfect opportunity to have a little much-needed rest and relaxation, but the 40 ladies that make up the 2011 Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders team aren't looking to slow down any time soon.
The team starts leaving for Bermuda today for the 2011-12 Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar photo shoot, which will no doubt be a flurry of hard work and a whirlwind of activity.
"The anticipation of going on this trip is killing me and I'm counting down the moments until I get on that AirTran flight to Bermuda," said Brandy K., a Falcons cheerleader since 2005 who appears in the 2010-11 calendar. "There is so much preparation, mentally and physically, that goes into getting ready to shoot the Falcons Swimsuit Calendar, and I know we are all ready to get there and get to work."
Last year, the crew of photographers, graphic designers and videographers took a handful of ladies to Cancun, Mexico, for the shoot. This year, all 40 team members will be making the trip to Bermuda and have time in front of the camera.
One group of cheerleaders leaves today on AirTran's inaugural flight to Bermuda and another group leaves Friday for the island. The cheerleaders will greet guests and passengers at 8:30 a.m. in Terminal C of the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this morning before boarding the flight for Bermuda.
Friday will prove to be a long day of shooting as the first shoot gets underway at 5:30 a.m. ET. The ladies will hold a meet and greet during Happy Hour at their hotel in Bermuda later that day, before more long shooting days on Saturday and Sunday. The team will all be back in Atlanta on Monday.
In the limited free time the ladies will have in Bermuda, they're planning on enjoying each others company. Even though more than half of the team is made up of rookies, this year's Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders team is a close-knit one, and the trip to Bermuda will go a long way toward continuing the team building they've started since auditions in March.
"I'm so looking forward to the whole team getting to travel together this year," second-year cheerleader Reneau K. said. "There's so much positivity and excitement in the air. You can feel it. I never go anywhere fun. I haven't really traveled since the Cancun shoot last year, so this is a special treat. Half of us leave today and the other half will join us Friday, so I'm sure Friday night will be a blast!"
AtlantaFalcons.com will be with the cheerleaders all week in Bermuda. Cheer correspondent Sara D. will continue her blog posts, and we'll have plenty of photos and video from the trip and the photo shoots. You can follow all our coverage by clicking right here.
