Last week, while scrolling through Netflix, I came across a documentary on the phenomenon that is the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, admittedly an unlikely watch for me. Popularly known as the DCC, they are the most recognisable and successful cheerleading squad in the US.
At first, my instinct was to scroll right past because there is nothing about cheerleading that really appeals to me, but then I thought there had to be more to it for it to have made it on to Netflix’s rotation. I devoured all seven episodes in one sitting and found myself a mixture of breathless, incredulous and fascinated by the end of it.
The show presents the penchant for frivolity and superficiality of the American machine that prizes perfect physical features and athletic prowess. But that is not what sustained my fascination.
The notion that the DCC squad commanded glamorous salaries was quickly dispelled, with one cheerleader saying they make as much as a “Chick-fil-A worker” in a fast food outlet. This immediately established that being part of the franchise is about passion, with many of the women holding down full-time jobs or studying at university.
What kept me enthralled, though, is the pushing of bodies to a point of bending and breaking – as well as knowing that, even after making it on to the squad, your spot is not guaranteed. All the cheerleaders on the squad audition annually to keep their places on the team. Interviews with the incumbent and aspiring DCC members also revealed a laser focus on their goal.
This becomes evident when one of the cheerleaders, a squad leader, talks about her journey and the meticulous, pedantic and hard-driven machine of the DCC.
Towards the end of the series, however, we learn how people’s backs and hips are broken; of harmful eating disorders to achieve the near-impossible feat of physicality, endurance and beauty standard.
Bearing in mind that some of these cheerleaders audition from as young as 18, a part of me was shocked; but a part of me admired the spirit with which they pursue their dream, barring those who do so in self-harming ways.
I have watched many documentaries that show the reality of the single-minded pursuit of excellence: from how hip-hop was forged, to Michael Jordan’s meteoric rise through the basketball ranks; from how the West Indies cricket team came from nothing to being unbeaten over a 15-year stretch, to how Serena and Venus Williams came to dominate tennis and change the sport forever.
All of these highlighted the importance of a mind conditioned to the pursuit of greatness and an extraordinary life even if only for a brief wormhole in time, often at great personal cost and pain.
These are ordinary people who have zeroed in on their dreams, and documentaries like these remind us that often our biggest limitations are our own minds. DM
Zukiswa Pikoli is the managing editor of Daily Maverick in Gauteng and the managing editor of Maverick Citizen.
This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
