Ever wondered what happened to some of your favorite Alouettes cheerleaders? Follow our “Once an Alouette, Always an Alouette” series to see what they’re up to now!
This week, we chatted with Myriam, who was part of our cheer squad from 2006 to 2008, and decided to come back in 2011!
What have you been up to since your time with the Alouettes, and where are you now?
I finished my studies in business administration and started working in management for the SAQ while running a dance school. Today, I am the mother of five-year-old twins. I did a full 180 in my professional life to start a business in beauty and wellness. I’m not going to lie, I miss dance a lot!
What’s your best memory as a cheerleader for the Alouettes?
I have so many amazing memories. Just the fact to have had the opportunity to be part of this great team is a privilege in itself and a once in a lifetime experience.
One of my favorite memories is to have had the chance to be featured in the cheerleaders’ calendar during my first season with the squad. We traveled down South to shoot the calendar and it was my first trip ever in this part of the world. I was as excited as I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone on the team yet. I was still thrilled about the adventure that was waiting for me!
I loved the experience. It’s at that moment that I felt like I was part of the gang. I felt like a star since we were surrounded by a handful of professionals who were there just for us: a makeup artist, a hairdresser, a photographer, and even a TV crew. And last but not least our coach Annie Larouche, always by our side to guide us and take care of us during the shoots.
During that trip, I became close friends with another cheerleader, Julie D. We’ve been friends for 14 years now and she’s one of my twins’ godmother.
What’s your funniest anecdote?
Before our very first game, we were signing calendars and I was so stressed that I was a bit disconnected from reality. At a certain point, a man approached me and said: “Hey Myriam, how are you?”. I started talking to him with a huge smile on my face as always, but I couldn’t recognize who he was. I felt bad because I was trying to where I knew him from, but I just couldn’t make the connection. A few minutes later, one of my teammates came to pull me out of the conversation and told me that he was a huge fan of the team and knew every girl’s name by heart. And that explains why I didn’t know who he was!
What’s a lesson you learned during your time with the Alouettes?
Being on the team taught me so much, but I have to say the main thing I learned is to never give up: I had to audition three times before being selected! Being a part of the Montreal Alouettes cheerleaders made me more rigorous, forced me to maintain a higher standard when it came to my dancing, and helped me develop skills to thrive in a team setting. I also realized that everything is possible when you believe in your dreams; You just have to be bold and go for it
