Cheryl Margol

Cheryl Margol 2009

Once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader is our motto!!  AlumniCheerleaders.com got the latest scoop on what member Cheryl Margol has been up to since hanging up her poms cheering for the Atlanta Falcons in 1971.  Wow… That year must be a typo because of how wonderful Cheryl looks sporting a  cheerleading outfit for fun today.

About you: I was born in Thomson, GA, a very small town near Augusta, and moved to Decatur at age seven. My dad starting taking us to football games at the tender age of six. When Atlanta got a professional football team, my family and I were SO excited and we were huge fans.  In high school, I was a member of our drill team and a member of the Atlanta All-Stars which was made up of Atlanta area girls.  The All-Stars performed for the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Falcons, Georgia Tech, and parades in Georgia and Florida.  We were known for our high kicks – kind of like the Rockettes. The sponsor of the All-Stars, Geri Ward, announced to us that she was holding tryouts for a new squad of performers for the Atlanta Falcons.  I tried out, made the squad, and was elated beyond belief that I would be performing for the pro football team that I absolutely loved.  I still have all of my high school and All-Star uniforms, but not the Falcons uniform  (We had to return them).  I didn’t continue as a Falcons Cheerleader because I was pursuing a career.  In those days, it was much more difficult for a female to be given the opportunity to prove her abilities and break into the business world.  Any time I mentioned to someone I had been a Falcons Cheerleader, they were so impressed and enamored – that’s the power of the Atlanta Falcons!

Cheryl Margol 1971

What are you doing now?  After almost 30 years in the corporate arena, I decided to become an early retiree.  I started out with CBS Records Inc. (a really fun job because of all of the exposure to music, back stage concert passages, and meeting recording artists).  Within a couple of years, CBS transferred me to Miami for a job in sales. I later joined the sales team at Panasonic and was with them for 23 years – the last 10 years as an Account Executive. Both of these companies allowed me to travel to many parts of the world, and working for Panasonic exposed me to the Japanese culture in a way I never would have been able to garner on my own.  I met my husband in Miami and we have been married for 20 years.  He’s a Miami Dolphins fan and huge Gator fan, but I don’t hold that against him.  I am now what I guess you would call a lady of leisure, but I stay very busy by volunteering, gardening, exercising (a must!), various projects, dabbling in gourmet cooking, and helping my husband with his businesses.

Years and where you cheered - Towers High School (Decatur, GA) 1968-1970, Atlanta All-Stars 1969-1971, Atlanta Falcons 1971

Why you enjoyed cheerleading and how and if it changed your life?   Being a football maniac and loyal fan of my school and local teams, it was amazing to be able to represent the Atlanta Falcons on their field.  My dad had never been to a pro football game until I became a Falcon Cheerleader.  I think it was one of the biggest thrills in his life, not only attending the Falcon games, but seeing his daughter perform.  Being an Atlanta Falcons Cheerleader not only boosted my self confidence, it opened my mind and imagination to accomplishing bigger and better things in life. I was an Atlanta Falcon Cheerleader – a super-star in MY mind!!

Cheryl - Falcons Cheerleaders Alumni Performance 11/08

Cheryl Margol