My Secret Life as a Roller Derby Queen

Do you remember watching roller derby as a kid? I do. Bunch of awesome chicks on skates. Well, I'm one of them. There, it's out, an I feel way better.

I have been rolling with my team the Demolitia Derby Queens for quite sometime now under the name "Baroness A-Bomb" and I love it! Yes, it's a tough contact sport and the first time I went to a practice I did think to myself, "Why did you want to get hit?". Ever since strapping "quads" (4-wheeled roller skates) to my size 9 stompers, I realized that I love this sport. Roller derby has become a big part of my life and has taught me important life lessons. I have learned that I can push myself to do fun and exhilarating things on skates, you get knocked down but you will get back up (in 3 seconds or less), bruises are badges of honor, strong is sexy, and I have gained a group of fantastic people as family.

What I love the most about this sport is that it doesn't matter how you look. There is no typical sports induced "body shaming" when you go to practice or a bout (game). In all actuality, you will find referees wearing cat leggings and the rest of the roller team in crazy makeup or gold sparkly shorts giving each other hi-fives for expertly given blocks/hits. As long as you have the skating talent and the fun attitude, you can really have fun with roller derby. As a roller derby athlete outside of practice, you will find yourself seeing how long you can do squats, challenging your co-workers to wall sits, or even playing the game "I can lift that" with everything heavy. It's a wonderful sport that I wish I would've found in high school, better late than never! Everyone is welcome, and my weirdness fits in perfectly.

Do you want to check out what this roller derby thing is all about? You can this Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Lapeer Skating Center (2100 N. Lapeer Rd Lapeer, MI 48446), I will be skating with my team against a team from Lansing. This is our last bout (game) of the season and I would really like to see you there if you can make it. Added bonus, you will get to see me in all my weird glory with all of my weird friends.