Photo: Darron Cummings/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Ella Whistler, who was shot seven times at her middle school at age 13 in May, wowed the crowd at an Indianapolis Colts game while performing on the field as a cheerleader and singer.
In the accompanying video, the 8th-grade student energetically skipped, flipped her hair, bopped to the music and clapped as she delivered a spot-on routine with the Colts’ cheerleaders.
“Our honorary coin toss captain, Ella Whistler, is representing Noblesville West Middle School’s cheer & dance teams in this special performance!” the Colts Cheerleaders accounttweeted.
On May 25, a 13-year-old boyshot two people, including a science teacher, at Noblesville West Middle School in Indiana. Whistler’s family said in June that her injuries included collapsed lungs, nerve damage and broken bones, theAssociated Pressreported at the time.
Ella Whistler.Darron Cummings/AP/REX/Shutterstock
In addition to dancing, Whistler sang the national anthem with a choir,Fox 59reported. The Colts Cheerleaders also tweeted a video of Whistler throwing toy footballs into the stands.
“I get to do a lot of different things now because of this, and I think it’s really cool to have this experience — a lifetime experience that no one ever really gets to do,” Ella said, according to Fox 59.
Whistler brought good luck to the Colts, as the team beat the Miami Dolphins 27 to 24,Colts.comreported.
Reflecting on the shooting he survived with Whistler, teacher Jason Seaman — who was shot as hetackled the armed student— previouslysaid at a press conference, “I want to make it clear that my actions on that day, in my mind, were the only acceptable actions I could have done given the circumstances.”
source: people.com
