At 4:30 a.m., Oct. 29, my alarm clock buzzed and a feeling of anxiety overtook my body while thoughts of what the day would be like filled my head. I headed over to the school to meet the rest of the cheer team. As I arrived, I saw most of the girls in the parking lot so I got out of the car and walked over to them.

We were headed to San Francisco to cheer at half time for a 49ers game. And we had a purpose: Support for breast cancer awareness! While we were only one small team, we were participating in the 49ers-USA Spirit Rally and Breast Cancer Awareness game.

After we all talked about how excited we were, Jordana Siebert, one of our chaperons, asked if anyone had to use the restroom before we left. So she and fellow chaperon Jane Gillespie, escorted some of us to the school’s entrance and unlocked the door, not knowing that we would set off FC’s alarm system. With a siren blaring, we all ran as fast as we could and used the restroom while boisterously laughing.

I never thought I would be attending a San Francisco 49ers game, and cheering on a real NFL field. It was hard to believe that only a few hours after this abnormal incident I would be arriving at the clinic to learn all of the choreography for the event.

This journey really started at the very beginning of the year, when our coach, Annette Phillips, spoke to us about performing at Candlestick Park for a Breast Cancer Awareness ceremony. When the team and I heard the news, we were all ecstatic. Coach Phillips booked all the transportation and hotel arrangements, all we had to do we be excited and ready for this really cool chance to perform in front of over 55,000 people.

The car ride to San Francisco was filled with laughing, snoring and conversations about how excited the team was. When we arrived to the high school where the clinic was held, I was in shock at how many other cheerleaders were there. I met up with the rest of the team, then Coach Phillips gave us instructions to pull our hair back and put our cheer shoes on.

As the team and I entered a crowded room filled with 400 other cheerleaders, a staff introduced themselves and explained to us what we would be doing for the next few hours. So we all got up as said staff lead us in some warmup exercises that would get us ready for the choreography. A woman named Mindy explained to us that we would be dancing to the song Footloose by Blake Shelton.

We would only have an hour and a half to learn 40 eight counts of choreography. After lunch and a brief break, all of the 400 cheerleaders met out on the vast green football field.

It was here that we had to learn our formations for the breast cancer Pink Ribbon, and lines for the dance. Towards the end of the day, the dance and lines were ingrained into all of our heads.

At 5 p.m. we all got back to the hotel and got some much needed rest.

The obnoxious alarm again started buzzing at 6:45 a.m., and a familiar feeling of anxiety came over me because, in a few short hours, the team and I would be performing in front of — and I know I’ve mentioned this before — more than 50,000 people.

As we neared Candlestick Park, I became extremely excited for what was to come. The team and I headed down onto the football field, and that’s when it hit me that this was going to be over soon and I needed to take it all in. I was really grateful for having been given the chance to be a part of such an amazing event that not only payed tribute to the amazing men and women who have had to live with breast cancer, but also those who have lost the battle to it.

After rehearsing the routine twice, it was time for action. The music began playing and we ran out onto the field with people surrounding us from every angle. It was an exhilarating feeling being in front of that many spectators. As we exited the field after the performance I was filled with adrenaline. The Gold Rush Squad told us we did a good job and we went to go sit down in the stands and watch the rest of the game.

The conversations that we had after were filled with recalling the little messups we had, and the amazing feeling of accomplishment after the routine was completed. I am very grateful for the opportunity to cheer at a 49ers game and am very proud of the team for going out there and doing such an amazing job. It was not just a fun trip but also a bonding experience for the team. I will remember it forever.

For those who would like to order a DVD of the performance, they may do so by contacting the stadium video director through their email. Be advised that there is a $50 cost to order DVDs, so watch the complimentary download and video before it expires.

For more opinions, read the Nov. 1 article, CNN analyst addresses courts, unbiased journalism (VIDEO).