"I grew up in Connersville, Indiana, a very small town that no one has heard of probably," says Colts rookie cheerleader Sarah S.

A historic town about an hour and a half southeast of Indianapolis, it was built on manufacturing. These days, Connersville is home to a bird sanctuary, a railroad museum, a golf course, and a dance studio where Sarah spent a lot of her free time.

"I was in the little three-year-old class, tapping in the little polka dot tutu," she says.

And one of her teachers there was a Colts cheerleader.

"That was kind of the first thing like, 'Oh, that looks cool. I'd like to do that someday.' But it was just a dream then."

Today, Sarah is a junior at IUPUI and cheering for the Colts is a dream come true – for her and her hometown.

"The whole town knows that I'm on the team. And they're very proud of it. It was in the local newspaper, tons of Facebook notifications. So, they're very supportive."

And so are her parents.

"They bought season tickets when I made the team," she says. "I see my mom at every corner I rotate in. The security guard said, 'Your mom is back.' I was like, 'That doesn't surprise me.'"

It wasn't a big family she grew up in. But it was a big football family.

"I grew up being the only sibling in the home. So, my parents were always really involved in my life and involved in my sports," she says. "I don't remember having a Sunday where we didn't have football on watching the games."  

But it wasn't until a few years ago that Sarah attended her first Colts game.

"My best friend from high school, we love football. So when we came to college, we purchased the cheapest tickets in the nosebleed section and went to a couple of games."

As a cheerleader, she now has a much better view.

"I have to say my favorite part was first stepping on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. Even if it was just a field rehearsal, going out there and just seeing all those seats getting ready to be filled with screaming fans. There's no other feeling like it, really."

As both a dancer and a gymnast, Sarah has always had a passion for training.

"I just want to put it out there that fit women do lift. It's a thing. I did a power lifting competition last year. And I ended up winning my weight class."

For Sarah, it's more than a lifestyle. It's what she wants to do with her life.

"I'm a junior studying fitness management and personal training. I want to start out with training athletes and then eventually work my way up in the management side to maybe owning my own facility one day."

In the meantime, training as a Colts cheerleader is helping her raise the bar on her own goals. 

"Our fitness is so hard. I always shined at that, but here I'm just average. It still just motivates me and it's one of my favorite parts."

And it's that enthusiasm she's hoping to pass on and share with others.

Because for Sarah, average just isn't good enough.