Victoria Kalina From 'America's Sweethearts' Is Making A Huge Life Change
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Victoria Kalina has quickly become a fan favorite on Netflix's newest docuseries America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. But she revealed at the end of the season that she would not be returning to the DCC for a fifth season.
The series, which debuted on June 20, gives viewers a raw look at what it takes to become one of the lucky few to rock the iconic Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader uniform and white-knee high boots. Victoria, a fourth-year veteran who many fans will remember from CMT'sDallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making The Team, is one of the many athletes given a spotlight throughout the series.
But, despite her transparent passion for being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, Victoria’s journey to making the squad again proved to be no easy feat. Her journey to become a DCC once again came with a lot of mental and physical struggles.
Ahead, get to know DCC legacy Victoria Kalina and read about what she plans to do in her retirement.
Her mom was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
Victoria and her mom, Tina Kalina, are two peas in a pod in the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: America's Sweethearts docuseries. Not only do they have a super close relationship, they can bond over their mutal experience as DCCs, since Mama Kalina was on the team in the '80s.
"I get some comments saying y’all are too close, that’s unhealthy. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s my rock, my person, my biggest supporter ever," Victoria told Netflix cameras.
On Mother's Day, Victoria posted this sweet picture with her mom on Instagram. The two are standing on the Dallas Cowboy's football field with blue, silver, and white pompoms in hand.
"To the one and only, TINA KALINA🩷 I could write a whole novel on how much you mean to me - so instead I’m going to keep it simple… I love you Mommy😊🩷🤩✨💕 Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers out there! You are SuperWoman!🩷," the caption read.
She's a fourth year veteran candidate.
Victoria first went through the training camp process when she was just 18 years old. However, she didn't make the cut.
She came back the next year and finally made the squad. Her process of making the team for her fourth season is shown throughout the Netflix docuseries.
The cheer star grew up around DCC and spent every summer in Camp DCC. She even became a junior DCC.
"Watching and learning from the DCC as a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a DCC because I loved the sparkle of the iconic uniform and getting to dance with pom poms," her cheer bio reads. "As I got older, I began to see how they made a difference in the lives of others — USO tours, hospital visits, nursing homes, waving to fans at the games, being a positive role model, etc and I knew I loved the organization even more."
"I wanted to be part of the DCC because I respect the organization and I feel very protective of it. It has been a dream of mine since my very first Camp DCC in 2004."
She's a fitness and dance instructor.
When she's not cheering on the Dallas Cowboys, Victoria is a fitness and dance instructor. On her DCC bio, she states that dance is "my passion!" and that "I never want to take it for granted because it is a gift that I am truly blessed to be able to do. I love performing, creating and training." She adds that she would "do it all day long every day if I could!"
Victoria began dancing at the age of two and spent 18 years training in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, musical theatre and styles at Top Hat Dance Centre, her bio says. Throughout her high school years, she was a member of their professional performing company and became a dance teacher.
The cheerleader shared this video on TikTok, which shows her stepping in during her students recital to help them complete their dance. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for my baby dancers🩷," she wrote in the caption.
Fitness is also very important to Victoria. She often gives followers looks at her workouts, like this one she posted in December 2022.
"Fitness is one of my many passions and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I enjoy cycling," she wrote in the caption. Adding that she says even when she's busy, she can get a quick "endorphin burst with a quick spin."
Victoria is taking dance classes at The Joffrey Ballet School in Dallas.
In the Netflix docuseries, Victoria shares that she is currently taking dance classes at The Joffrey Ballet School in Dallas, training in ballet and jazz.
Victoria keeps her social media pages up to date with recent dances in all styles. She shared this video of her doing a fun tap dance on her IG.
"This week’s Stylized Saturday is in honor of National Tap Day!!🩷 magical tap choreo @fusion_exercise 🤩⭐️Thank you @thdci for all the training🖤🩷," she wrote.
Victoria took a break from cheering in 2021.
In the docuseries, Victoria opens up about deciding to take a step back from cheering in 2021 while she was dealing with mental health issues. She shared the news on her Instagram account.
"Due to some personal issues, I have made a brave, mature and unselfish decision to take a leave from the sidelines this season. THANK YOU for all your love, encouragement and support! Your messages mean THE world to me. I am reading every one of them and I will get back to you when I can," she wrote. "The DCC organization is family and I am so lucky to have their love and support. I can’t wait to watch my sisters SHINE this season and cheer on the new rookies!"
Victoria concluded the caption by saying, "I love y’all and appreciate all your KINDNESS and LOVE! XOXO, Victoria."
Fans flooded the comment section with support for Victoria. "You were my favorite. ❤️ take care of yourself!!!," one person wrote. Another said, "We love you Victoria!! 💗" and someone else wrote, "All good Victoria, when you are ready, you know you got your boots ready to go!!!"
She's been open about her mental health struggles.
Victoria has become very vocal about mental health since this moment in 2021. In this video, she shares how she makes these videos to open up the discussion around mental health.
In the docuseries, she opens up for the first time about her struggle with depression and disordered eating.
“My depression, like, it turns into this bad cycle," Victoria said in an episode halfway through the season. "And whenever I get into a bad depression, I turn to bad coping skills, which causes bad eating habits.”
She explains how her depression causes “a binge-purge cycle.”
“It's a binge to get that feel-good, that empty feeling filled again. But then game time comes, so then you gotta get into those baby clothes, get into that baby uniform, and that cycle just keeps going."
On June 23, Victoria posted her first YouTube video, a Q&A where she also spoke about mental health. She first became “super depressed” during the pandemic in 2020, but didn’t know she struggled with anxiety and depression. Ultimately, she realized she needed to take time off to take care of herself.
“I decided to take a step away, work on myself, regain control—regain who I was—and better myself. I started therapy, did all the things, and for that I am so grateful,” she said. “I just always knew that I wanted to represent my best self, and my best self was not that year.”
Watch Victoria's video here:
Victoria now loves to share content about mental health on social media. She is open about how therapy has helped her, and posts videos that encourage others along their mental health journeys.
In one recent TikTok, she shares how she makes these videos to open up the discussion around mental health.
"Mental health Monday is back and here to stay! You are not alone. You are worthy. You are loved🩷," she wrote in the caption.
Victoria also posted this video of herself cheering on the sidelines of a Dallas Cowboys game, sharing that she wore a lime green star on her uniform to support mental health awareness.
"It’s Victory Monday! Yesterday was a very special game as we also performed with our My Cause My Stars - I wore lime green for mental health awareness 💚," she wrote. "I would like to bring awareness to Mental Health and break the stigma. I personally waited so long and suffered silently because I thought people would judge me and treat me differently. Its okay to not be OK!"
Victoria added that it's important to celebrate those in need of help.
"There is no shame in seeing a therapist or taking medication to help your mental health. I would not be standing here today if it were not for my therapist."
Where is Victoria Kalina now?
After deciding to leave the DCC behind in the final episode of the docuseries, fans were left wondering what Victoria was going to do next. Now, they finally have answers: In her June 23 YouTube video, she announced that she is moving to New York in 12 days.
“I’ve always known that after cheering for the Cowboys I wanted to continue my dance journey in New York City, and that is what I’m going up there to do,” she told viewers.
Victoria said she is going to train her “little hiney off” when she gets to the city. She shared that she has always admired the Rockettes and would like to audition for them, but is “open to any and all opportunities that are out there.”
“I might go up there and hate it, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen because I’ve been dreaming of New York City being my home forever," she said. "And I’m so excited to say that is finally happening.”
Good luck in New York, Victoria!
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