Kriti Mehrotra
Although many believe cheer is either just an easy dance form or a sport involving minimal talent, the physical exertion and level of skill it requires is actually equal to any traditional sport. This much is evidenced throughout Netflix’s ‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,’ especially with both past and present cheerleaders of this titular iconic organization sharing their experiences. Amongst them is Caroline Sundvold, who formally retired following her fifth consecutive season dancing in 2022 yet stayed connected thanks to her younger sister, Anna Kate, deciding to join the squad.
Caroline Sundvold’s Dream Was to be a DCC Girl
Although Caroline had found her passion for dance at the tender age of 3 and even pursued the same throughout high school at a local studio, she chose to seek higher education before trying to make a name for herself in the industry. In fact, she attended the University of Missouri-Columbia for a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a minor in finance, only to graduate in 2018 before immediately moving forward to audition for DCC at the age of 22. The truth is this was something she’d desired for a long time yet chose to approach in a practical manner because she knew it wouldn’t last forever and would also require a lot of personal backing.
Nevertheless, Caroline didn’t let herself be intimidated and followed her heart, just as her professional athlete father, Jon “Sunny” Sundvold, had done back in his youth. He’d moved out to Missouri right after graduation to play basketball, just to eventually end up playing for the Seattle SuperSonics, the San Antonio Spurs, plus the Miami Heat. So, she followed in his footsteps and moved from Missouri to Texas after graduation to follow her dreams, unaware she’d not only make it into the team on her first try but also earn the award for Rookie of the Year at the end of her first season. As if that’s not enough, she then continued shining bright and making it into the team right until it was time for her to retire in 2022, at the end of which she earned the Veteran of the Year award too.
Caroline Sundvold’s First Year Retired Was Full of Physical Pains
Despite loving every second of her time as a DCC dancer, Caroline admits it took a toll on her body to such an extent she was in severe pain almost for the entirety of her last season. In fact, she needed to have hip reconstruction surgery, yet she chose to postpone it because she didn’t want to leave without one last hurrah — it was painful, but she had her mind made up, resulting in her fulfilling her goal thanks to the support of all her loved ones. In other words, it was only after the Dallas Cowboys played their last match in the 2022 NFL season and the cheerleaders had their last official season performance that she underwent the major operation.
Nevertheless, Caroline helped her younger sister, Anna Kate, throughout her own audition process, unaware her gradual path to recovery would then be hindered by another injury. It turned out she needed to have surgery on her left foot too — years of dancing, as well as over-exertion, had caused some damage, and she needed to get it fixed, or she would’ve been in utter agony. Thus came her second operation in the span of a year; all the while she was still learning to handle her withdrawal from DCC because it truly was the best time of her life, and she didn’t know what was to follow. She didn’t have a clearly planned out future for herself, wasn’t fulfilled professionally, and had no significant other to share her experiences with, so she wasn’t feeling too well, just to soon realize that’s a part of life.
Caroline Sundvold is Now Expanding Her Wings and Traveling
While Caroline still hasn’t really found her calling following her time as a proud Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, she does know she’s supposed to enjoy her 20s, so that’s what she is doing. In fact, despite the fact she has been serving as a Personal Executive Assistant to CEOs and Families at Churchill Capital since 2021, she did recently earn a Mastering Sales Certificate from Northwestern University-Kellogg School of Management. From what we can tell, she did this to open up more doors for herself in the professional sense, yet she hasn’t dabbled in this field as of writing — though she does seem ready for it when and if the opportunity presents itself.
Until then, Caroline appears to be taking advantage of any free time she has by traveling across the globe and spending some much-needed quality downtime with friends and family. Whether it be Malaysia, Mexico, or California, she has actually been everywhere in the past year, and it appears as if she has no plans of slowing down or stopping anytime soon. After all, the adrenaline rush from the experiences she garners during such travels likely only matches the excitement she had as a DCC dancer, so it’s a path she’s embracing with open arms. We honestly wish her the very best in any and all of her future endeavors.
