Perth dancer Faith Ward says she is "super excited and grateful" after making the world-famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad.
Born in New Zealand and raised in Western Australia, the 22-year-old is the first New Zealander and the third Australian to make the prestigious team for the NFL franchise.
She competed against thousands of cheerleaders for one of just six rookie spots on the 36-member cheerleading squad this NFL season.
"I thought, this is my time to reach for my dreams," she said.
"I took the opportunity and here we are."
The US cheerleaders have attracted huge global fame in recent years through wildly popular Netflix docuseries America's Sweethearts.
The two seasons of the TV series tracked the gruelling selection and training processes for the official cheer squad of the world's biggest sports franchise.
Ward tried out for the team after a recruiter messaged her on Instagram.
"I was like, 'This is a fake account, this is a drill, there's no way this is happening'," she said.
"And [the recruiter] was like, 'No, we're looking for international candidates'."
"So I was like, 'Sign me up'."
A 'cutthroat' and 'brutal' process
The gruelling audition process sees veterans compete each year against rookie candidates to retain their spot.
"I think those athletes are hands-down some of the most hard-working people I've ever seen," Ward said.
While the Wellington-born dancer acknowledged it was a "cutthroat" and "brutal" process, she said the team's director Kelli Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell had "warm hearts".
"They're really just wanting to see the best potential of you," she said.
"It's a hard industry to make it in and everyone wants to do it, so you've just got to push through."
Ward said just qualifying for the finals was more than she had ever dreamed of, adding she "couldn't believe it" when she discovered she'd made the team.
"I was waiting for someone to wake me up from my dream," she said.
"I kept turning to the girls going, there's no way this is real."
Now the final team has been selected, preparations begin for the NFL regular season, which kicks off in September.
This includes meticulous practice of DCC's most famous dance to AC/DC's Thunderstruck, which they will perform in front of 90,000 eager fans at AT&T Stadium, the Cowboys' home ground.
"It is going to be so iconic and so surreal to be representing Australia and New Zealand," Ward said.
"It's going to make it feel like all those late nights of dance practice and training and hours I've put into my profession has paid off."
