Charger Girl Will Represent Team at Pro Bowl

By Troy Hirsch
Fox5

From the time she was old enough to watch football with her dad, Marissa says all she dreamed of was joining the Chargers and getting on the field.

Now, she gets to do even more than that: the Charger Girl dance team member will go to Hawaii as the only representative at the Pro Bowl.

Marissa earned her trip to the Pro Bowl after receiving a nomination from her fellow Charger Girls and earning the most votes in an online fan poll.

“I was so excited and just so in shock,” Marissa said. “I felt like I was dreaming.

“My father’s from Hawaii and I’ve always wanted to visit the island, so this is amazing for me.”

The 29 year-old South Bay native, who graduated on the Dean’s List from San Diego State, works at a local high school in marketing and publications.

After she learned of her Pro Bowl selection at the final Chargers’ game of the season, her co-workers decorated her cubicle with the Aloha Spirit.

Amazingly, the Pro Bowl selection did not make the top of her list in 2012.

“I recently married the love my life, last summer,” she said. “We have been together for a decade and he was with me from day one of auditioning for the Charger Girls. For every audition I didn’t make, he pushed me to succeed and challenge myself.”

Marissa says she auditioned nine times before she earned a spot with the Charger Girls. Now, after three seasons with the team, she considers every one of them a close friend and essentially had 20 bridesmaids in her wedding.

“I am so incredibly inspired by them and they are my whole world,” Marissa said. “I look up to them and respect them and the fact that I am going to the Pro Bowl from their nomination is absolutely the biggest honor for me.”

Marissa will leave for Hawaii on January 21st and she said she will spend the week making appearances and also practicing with the other 24 cheerleaders from other NFL teams.

[Marissa at Chargers.com]