Ask Amy H. what she's doing on any given week, and you're likely to get a variety of answers.
If she isn't working at her sales job, she's probably doing some volunteer work with her church or sorority. Or - she could be studying to earn her physical trainer's license. Maybe she's tapping her adventurous side, like when she went kite-boarding for the first time recently. Perhaps Amy is relaxing at home with her parents and three sisters.
Shooting a swimsuit calendar is just the icing on the cake.
"I don't think I could be put into one single category," Amy laughed. The quirky, upbeat optimist lives a pretty active lifestyle, yet no one from her small town of Spotsylvania, Va., would ever expect her to be a Ravens cheerleader, let alone be featured in a swimsuit calendar.
Which isn't to say they aren't happy for her.
"My parents are happy whenever I'm happy," she said, noting how happy her family was for her when they found out she was going on the trip. The oldest of four girls, Amy is very close with her family, and has traveled with them many times, including a mission trip to Haiti.
Though she always wanted to go to Hawaii, the Bahamas got her excited, as well. Amy was pretty shocked when she was selected to go. She had expected only the veterans would be chosen.
But as she arrived in the Bahamas with many of those same vets, she's been thankful for the chance to bond with her new teammates before the season begins.
While a lot of her teammates talked of how nervous they were for their shoots, Amy was far from it.
"I was excited," she said. "I hope they get the right shot."
This week has also been her first experience with fans, which Amy has also enjoyed by signing many autographs.
"[The fans] are so nice. Everyone is so excited to have us here," she said. "You feel very special, like a little celebrity."
She'll be the first to admit though, that the bikini shoot wasn't exactly her scene. In fact, she has felt a little out of her element throughout the trip. That hasn't stopped her from making the best of it.
"I didn't know what to expect coming on this trip, "she said. " I've never done a photo shoot before. When I first looked at the schedule, I was overwhelmed. It's so much fun."
As her photos were shot, Amy realized how hard it truly was to pose for a calendar.
"It hurts to stand in that pose for 10 to 20 minutes," she said. "It's tough to stand in the same, uncomfortable position. There is a lot going through your mind, a lot of pressure with everyone watching."
When it was all said and done, however, Amy was happy with the result.
"They portrayed me in a positive, wholesome light. I didn't do anything I felt uncomfortable doing," Amy said, who admits she tends to be a bit conservative. "It was completely surreal, but it was so cool.
"I'll be able to tell my kids and grandkids about it someday, that I got to do something one-in-a-million people get to do. I feel very blessed."
With Amy's optimistic view on life, that just about sums her up. One-in-a-million.
Daily Notes
Amy joined Angel, Melissa and Andrea on a sailboat to a private island Thursday. Angel and Melissa did their calendar shoots in various poses on the boat. Andrea posed in front of a tree stump on the island while Amy posed on a cliff overlooking the ocean...During the boat ride, the captain pointed out Sandy Cay Island as the vessel sailed by it. Sandy Cay is better known as the original Gilligan's Island...After returning to the harbor from the morning shoots, a large group of the cheerleaders joined radio personalities and fans on the 98 Rock Cheerleader Sail Trip...After the sailing trip, the majority of the girls attended the Barefoot Beach BBQ at the Wyndham Nassau Resort. At the event, each of the girls had the opportunity to mingle with hotel guests and sign autographs...Ashley, Meaghan S. and Amanda took the sailboat back to the private island in the evening for their calendar photo shoots.
