Inspiration from the Sidelines

Athletes are often looked upon as role models, but those on the sidelines can certainly be an inspiration as well. Armani Latimer, a former South Carolina Dance Team captain and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader certainly stands out in that role. The Anderson, South Carolina native has put her best foot forward to raise awareness of alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss, and opened up to the world in 2024 when she performed in Dallas without her wig.

“I was not expecting the magnitude of what occurred,” Latimer said of the huge interest her story became on social and traditional media following that first performance. “It was an incredible feeling to know that so many people wanted to know more. It goes down as one of my top three moments.”

Latimer was diagnosed with alopecia when she was 12 years old.

“If you have some kind of hair loss, you have alopecia,” said Latimer, who graduated from South Carolina in 2020 and came back to campus last August to do choreography for the Carolina Dance Team. “I was diagnosed with alopecia areata, which means that my hair fell out in bald spots. They could be big ones. They could be small ones.”

Latimer initially thought that the hair would always grow back. Alopecia can cause patches of hair loss throughout the body but typically affects the face and head. A dermatologist diagnosed her condition.

“It didn’t really phase me at that point in time because my dad has alopecia,” Latimer said. “I didn’t really understand the severity at that point. As I got a little older, those years in middle school and high school can be hard. Kids can be a little mean sometimes.”

Through it all, Latimer had support from her parents.

“I asked my dad a ton of questions,” Latimer said. “My mom was sort of my backbone in dealing with anything that had to do with hair. She helped me find hairstyles that helped me cover up my bald spots.”

She started wearing extensions in high school, particularly when she was competing in pageants. Latimer started dancing when she was 3 years old and began competing at the age of 4. She was a cheerleader in middle school and high school before performing for the Carolina Dance Team during her time on campus. She waited until her sophomore year to audition for the Carolina Dance Team after a lot of preparation.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself just auditioning,” Latimer said. “Once I made the team, I was more relaxed. I don’t think I was prepared for the roar and excitement when you step inside of Willy-B. Those are the moments I will never forget.”

She didn’t share her condition with too many people when she came to South Carolina.

“It’s hard for a young girl growing up, especially with the standards that society has. It’s hard when you see that, and you’re dealing with something you can’t possibly control. I didn’t feel like I could talk to anyone about what I was going through.”

Latimer had dreamed of dancing professionally after college, and she stumbled upon the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders television show and knew that’s something she wanted.

The Carolina Dance Team didn’t have the chance to go to the national competition during her senior year due to the COVID pandemic, but around that time she found out that the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were having auditions online.

“I felt like I was so far behind, and all these girls were preparing their whole lives so there’s no way I’m going to make it,” Latimer recalled.

Encouraged by her parents, she made a video, sent it, made it to training camp and eventually advanced through several challenging rounds of auditions to make the team.

“It was an incredible journey,” Latimer said. “It’s such a special time, whether you are on the team for one or five years. There is so much that goes into being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. It’s more than just rehearsals and games. We also do community service events and recently started back up with our USO tours, which are really special. It’s an incredible experience, but it’s also a lot of pressure.”

During her second year with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, she lost all of her hair. On December 9 of 2024, she performed for the first time without her wig when the Cowboys hosted the Cincinnati Bengals.

“I had to have the conversation with myself about what my beauty standards were,” Latimer said. “That’s kind of hard when you look at yourself in the mirror and don’t like what you see back in the reflection. Over time, I gained the confidence back knowing my hair doesn’t define who I am. Luckily, every single time I’ve gone public about my alopecia, it’s been nothing but positive.

“It made so many people feel like they weren’t dealing with it alone. That’s all I wanted to do and to let people know you can do whatever you want. You shouldn’t ever feel like you can’t achieve your goals just because you have an insecurity about something you’re dealing with. You should try to use that as your strength.

“My perfection to me is showing you who I am one hundred percent. That means showing you that I don’t have any hair, but I can still go out here in my uniform. I don’t have to be perfect.”

Latimer recently retired from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and is now a DCC All-Star, which means she can still perform at times and make team appearances. For now, she is enjoying doing a lot of speaking engagements for alopecia, and she plans on taking the LSAT and attending law school in the near future.

“I’ve always wanted to be a good role model,” Latimer said. “I have two younger brothers, so that’s always been a goal of mine. Knowing I can be inspiring to others, even people who are older than me, is really special to hear.

“My biggest message to anyone struggling with alopecia is to surround yourself with a good community. It’s something that helped me when I was able and willing to share my story with the public.”