By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
It’s not every day that a “regular” person ends up on the cover of a magazine.
But, then again, maybe Gabby Newman isn’t so “regular.”
Newman graced the cover of the October 2007 edition of American Cheerleader magazine after being named the “Cheerleader of the Month.”
The N.C. State Wolfpack cheerleader said she felt like a celebrity when she first spotted the magazine in a store.
“I was in Barnes & Noble when I first saw it sitting next to Seventeen and Cosmopolitan,” Newman said. “I felt famous. When I bought it, the cashier didn't even notice that it was me on the cover.
“I have had several people tell me that they saw it in stores and had to do a double-take because they were shocked to see my face up there with all these A-listers. Needless to say, it was pretty awesome.”
Newman’s touch with fame came thanks to a cheerleading event in Daytona, Fla. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty was spotted by an editor of American Cheerleader magazine during one of the Wolfpack’s routines at the NCA Nationals.
“One of the editors for the magazine had watched us and somehow pointed me out to my coach,” Newman said. “The coach called me over and introduced us. The editor then asked if I wanted to meet them on the beach the next day for a photo shoot for a smoothie article about eating healthy. We did the mini-photo shoot the next day on the beach.
“Turns out, it was just a trial run to see if I could take good pictures because, shortly after I returned to Raleigh, the editor asked me if I wanted to fly to New York City for a real photo shoot. At that point I was put in the running for ‘Cheerleader of the Month,’ which is chosen by the American Cheerleader staff.”
Newman obviously had what the staff was looking for as the month’s top cheerleader. The N.C. State criminology major earned a scholarship and a three-page spread in the magazine.
“The magazine only comes out with six issues a year, so it was a huge honor to be chosen as one of them to grace the cover of their magazine,” Newman said. “When the editor called me and told me, I freaked out. I started jumping up and down and screaming like a 12-year-old meeting Zac from “High School Musical.” I'm glad no one was around because it would have been quite embarrassing.
“I was thrilled for so many reasons. That magazine is the No. 1 cheerleading magazine in the country. I was excited that the all-girl team was finally going to get some exposure and, most of all, I was getting a scholarship that I knew would help me immensely with my student loans.”
Landing on a magazine cover was the last thing Newman would have thought about when she took up cheerleading in the fourth grade. Newman dabbled in gymnastics and softball, but she said cheerleading was her first love.
While cheerleading in college takes more time and commitment than in high school, Newman said it’s well worth it.
“It takes serious time management and dedication,” she said. “In high school, it was more for social reasons; in college it is more about the actual sport and performing well. You have to train outside of practice. It's easy to get out of shape in college, so you have to work twice as hard to stay in shape for a collegiate level team.”
Along with training, Newman said it’s important to focus on the real reason one is in college -- to get an education.
“The reason you are even at the university is because of your grades,” Newman said. “School has to come first or you can't be on the team. You have to make sacrifices in order to be a collegiate athlete.”
After all the hard work, Newman said nailing a routine in front of a large crowd is priceless.
“Being on the NCSU All-Girl team made my first two years of college unforgettable,” she said. “There is nothing better than the adrenaline rush you get when you step out on the mat and everyone is screaming for you and chanting your school name.”
Well, maybe landing on the cover of a magazine and being named as a “Cheerleader of the Month” tops that.
And the only thing that may top that is if Newman is voted as “Cheerleader of the Year.”
Readers of American Cheerleader magazine will vote for their favorite cheerleader at www.americancheerleader.com/coy. Winning would mean more recognition and another scholarship for Newman.
That would give Newman just one more reason to cheer.
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