Super experience in London
- February 23, 2010
By Samie Hartley
Brentwood Press Writer
While on a whirlwind press tour promoting the Super Bowl in London, Discovery Bay resident Tasha Ghiggeri did a little sightseeing with her fellow 49er Gold Rush cheerleaders.
Ghiggeri is a cheerleader for the 49ers and went to England to help promote the Super Bowl overseas.
While most Americans were enjoying the Super Bowl from the comfort of their couches earlier this month, Tasha Ghiggeri was surrounded by 3,000 NFL fans at the largest Super Bowl party London has ever seen.
But why would a Discovery Bay girl travel all the way to England to watch the New Orleans Saints whoop the Indianapolis Colts in the most-viewed Super Bowl telecast of all time? It's simple: it's just another day's work for a 49er Gold Rush cheerleader.
Ghiggeri was one of 11 Gold Rush Girls selected to travel to England as part of a mass-media tour to promote the big game. She did radio interviews and TV spots, and at the end of a four-day whirlwind of press and promotions, she performed alongside her squad mates at Super Bash, a Super Bowl party that takes place in an arena the size of HP Pavilion in San Jose.
"We did three performances at Super Bash to get the crowd warmed up," Ghiggeri said. "American football has a cult following in England, so the energy was so intense in that room. NFL hasn't quite caught on over there, but the people who follow it absolutely love it. Because of the time difference, the game didn't even start until about 11:30 p.m., but they didn't care. Everyone was having a great time."
Ghiggeri never thought she'd be a cheerleader. She tried cheering in sixth grade, but she didn't like the "rah-rah" style. She preferred to dance, and her love of dance convinced her to try out for a cheerleading position for the San Jose SaberCats, a local arena football team that she cheered with for three years, and from there she moved on to the 49er squad.
Ghiggeri said it was a privilege to travel to England to represent the Niners and the NFL, but her favorite part was her trip to the University of Birmingham, where she and the squad met a group of English-bred American football cheerleaders who cheer for the Birmingham Lions.
"It was such a wonderful experience," she said. "The girls were so welcoming and greeted us with such enthusiasm. They treated us like celebrities - which we're not, but they were so nice. And these girls are dedicated to cheering, but they're also focused on school. Some of them are studying to be chemical engineers. They're brilliant girls and they squashed the cheerleader stereotype in an instant. I really admire them."
The tour was Ghiggeri's first trip to London, and it might be the perfect way to cap off her professional cheering career. After two years with the Niners, 28-year-old Ghiggeri said she thinks it's time to "hang up the pom poms" and move on to her next adventure. Ghiggeri is a Member Services Consultant at Delta Valley Athletic Club in Brentwood, where she helps sign up new members and coordinates club activities. While her job allows her to fulfill her passion for health and fitness, she's also looking for a way to keep the entertainment side of herself active as well.
Ghiggeri, who recently graduated with a communications degree from California State University East Bay, said she'd like to do something in entertainment broadcasting. She spent four years as a reporter for the show "Latin Eyes" on KRON4, where she traveled around the country conducting interviews, including chatting with celebrities such as Nelly Furtado and John Leguizamo.
Ghiggeri said she'd like to have a multi-faceted career like Ryan Seacrest, hosting TV shows, working in radio and even doing a little acting. But for now, she's happiest spending time with her husband Joe and their bulldog Gus, reflecting on where she's been and where she'll go from here.
"If you told me when I was 12 that I would be having all these once-in-a-lifetime experiences, I would have laughed," Ghiggeri said. "I never thought this could all be possible, but now I know anything is possible."