When I first started derby I really had no idea how physically weak I was. I knew I was basically a couch potato for many years and had just lost over a 106 pounds so I told myself to go for it. My supervisor “Earthquake” had been trying to get me to do it for years. I had been to bouts and supported the team several times over but it was finally my turn. The week before I tried out I ran around buying gear and my cheapo R3s (which lasted three years btw great starter skate) and I was ready to try. Tuesday I showed up with all my gear like yeah I can do this, the class of several girls also had the same attitude. Some were like OMG this is totally awesome and others were just there to skate. Paper work filled out and waiver signed I was ready to try on the concrete. Literally not the skates but the concrete since it and I became close friends that night lol. This is when I met Captain Obvious and Lizard, they both were so supportive their eyes gave me a virtual hug every time we did a knee drop and it took me 3x as long to get back up than the other “freshies” trying out. If it were not for those visual contacts I probably would have walked right back out the door. I wanted this, I wanted something for me…. I wanted to be physical.
Wednesday, OH MY GOD what was I thinking this was horrible everything hurt my head, body and feet. I wanted to cry thank goodness I worked from home. Simple tasks of sitting on at toilet and attempting to stand were painful, this was worse than my surgeries in my past. I kept saying I want this I want this but my body was like oh heck no girl stop.
Thursday second night of tryouts, I showed up. Over half of the so called skater girls did not come back, I did. I kept saying wow if this was hard on me and they didn’t come back it must have been hard on them too. I kept telling myself you can do this don’t give up you can do this. At one point during tryouts I went down it hurt I didn’t want to cry and look wimpy but my knee pad had moved and my knee was in pain. I looked at Captain and whispered I REALLY WANT THIS. He told me to keep going and I did. That night I became a Southern Illinois Roller Girl. You see if you want something bad enough you don’t have to be the best, fastest or wealthiest. You need drive, love for the sport and support from others, I am the picture child for that. Over the past three years there have been struggles emotionally, financially and family driven but I have stuck to it. These girls on the track are not just girls they are my supporters and family. We are “nothing without each other” we are WUTANG and nothing can stop the clan when we work together.
Here we are three years later and I am stronger happier and healthier. I am getting ready to end my journey with SIRG as a rostered skater but not as a friend/family as I move to a new area of the state. I love SIRG for giving me so many opportunities like legally hitting men, skating with international skaters, expanding my travel log and most of all helping me find that I am STRONG BEAUTIFUL and A GREAT DERBY MOM. I will mom you so hard if you’re around me but its only cause I care about your best interest ;) In closing I love each and every one of the people I have shared the track with skaters volunteers and refs and I will never stop being derby strong.
Much love,
The Italian Booty Queen