Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Armani Latimer performed without a wig at the Dallas Cowboys-Cincinnati Bengals game on December 9, and her decision was nothing short of courageous. hit Netflix series For Latimer, a 23-year-old dancer on “America's Sweethearts”: the moment was also an opportunity to speak publicly about her diagnosis of alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss.

In an Instagram reel shared on the team's joint account, Latimer appeared visibly moved by her teammates' support as she walked onto the field at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Monday. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) partner with Lucchese Bootmakers for one game each year to highlight a charitable cause close to each member's heart.

This year, Latimer chose to perform to support alopecia awareness; in an interview with Women's Health magazine, Latimer explained that the occasional bald spot tends to “grow with stress.”

“Right after college, I auditioned for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleading squad and tried to get my hair to look natural, but the demands of being a training camp candidate and trying to make the team made my hair fall out faster,” she told the outlet She told the outlet. “It got harder and harder to cover my hair, so I went back to Sawin. And when my hair fell out completely, I started wearing wigs.

Latimer further discussed the impact alopecia had on her mood and self-esteem early in her career as a cheerleader. Often, when she had alopecia, she was “only able to give about 50 percent of her energy.”

“People look at cheerleaders and assume they are perfect,” Latimer added in a conversation with Women's Health.

Acceptance is an ongoing journey, Latimer continued, but by coming out about his alopecia, he realized that it did not define him. at the beginning of the 2024 season, Latimer told DCC coach Kelly Finglas that he had been invited to the team's annual “My Coors My Boots” game, the team's annual event, and approached him about not wearing a wig.

“I was a little intimidated at the thought that it might be live and on TV in front of over 80,000 people,” Latimer confessed. But I keep telling myself that I'm dancing with my best friends and my family will be there.” I think it's going to be a shocking moment for everybody.”

Now that is a cause I can definitely get behind.