Taking on Atomic Cherry. Brigand Strong and Godjilla Sold Separately

So I originally posted this in August 2011 when my favourite skaters were Atomic Cherry and GodJilla Sold Separately. Since then I've added a third skater to my all time favourite skaters so it was only right to update this interview. Please welcome Brigand Strong from NRDL!

For those that don't know Brigand Strong is one of NRDL's best kept secrets but surely it has come to the stage that she gets the recognition she deserves. I first noticed Brig when I started going to the NRDL intraleague bouts. I'm a Fort Smashleys fan but Brig plays for the Harbour Hellcats. Up until then I only paid attention to blockers because that's all I saw myself doing. After some good advice from Jilla about not pigeon holing myself into only one position Brig's performances on the track were getting my attention. Here you had a tall player who could jam and block equally as well. She was the complete player and it was then that my attitude started changing from wanting to just being a blocker to being an all rounder. Plus she's one of the most modest people you'll ever speak to.

As for Cherry and Jilla their records speak for themselves. From the very first roller derby bout I ever went to I've loved what they bring to the track - their confidence, leadership, AMAZING blocking, organisational skills and just having fun being on the track while being competitive. I'm just waiting for the day that our two leagues bout, hopefully I'll be on the track with all three of my favourite skaters :)

I've seen Cherry jam a few times at training and I've seen Jilla jam during some Fort Smashley bouts which usually gets the biggest cheers for the night because no only really expects her to jam. It's been amazing to see their progress since I first posted this last year and trying to learn from them whether it be at training with Cherry or watching Brig and Jilla work their magic at bouts. We all know the tagline from Whip It 'Be your own hero'. I strive to be the best skater I can be for my league but if I can take different parts of Brig, Cherry and Jilla's games and mould into my own game then even better :)

Here's the updated interview now with all three skaters. Thanks to Brig, Cherry, and Jilla for doing the interviews and to the talented Nav Man for letting me use his pictures. 

ATOMIC CHERRY

Skates with Hawkesbury Area Roller Derby

1. What’s the story behind your roller derby name?

There isn't much of a story.. Had a nickname "Cherry Bomb", it was already taken as a Roller Derby name on the International Roster and I wanted to keep it similar so I could still be called Cherry and kinda figured a hit from a buxom gal like me would be kinda Atomic ;)

2. What’s the story behind your roller derby number?

8 is my lucky number, so I considered 88 to be twice as lucky! Its also a bit of a play on the whole bingo game "88 two fat ladies" cuz my butt was so big on the track it was like there were 2 fat ladies blocking you hehe

I have since found out that apparently the Chinese beleive that 88 is the luckiest number - so I was glad to hear that!

3. What’s your current skate setup?

I bought my skates second hand from Beck Wise, founder of SRDL who now skates with the Texas Rollergirls. They are Reidell 122 boots with old school suregrip Invader plates. While I LOVE my Sure Grip Interceptors, I'm currently rolling on some wheels made by Aussie Scott - a local speed skater.

4. What was it that drew you to the wonderful world of roller derby?

The story to how I got into roller derby can be found on my blog, but what drew me to it - well its such a spunky sport filled with amazing woman, who wouldnt be drawn to it!

5. Were you a beast on wheels before you took up roller derby or did you start from scratch?

Not at all! I had to start from scratch, and start very very slowly lol

6. When you hang up your skates would you like to continue on in the form of coaching?

You will have a hard time convincing me to ever hang up my skates, but I will definently continue to coach if that day ever comes!

7. Who are your favourite skaters?

I think Bonnie D. Strior would sit pretty high on anyones list - alone with Suzy HotRod. But I've watched dozens of bouts online where I have seen some amazing skaters whose names I just don't know.

Locally, my favs would have to be Bitchy'n'Scratchy and Rabid Fire from SRDL - lot of respect for such great players. But I have my favs from each league and I love to watch them play when I can.

8. Who is the toughest skater you’ve come up against in a bout?

That would have to be White Hawk from WIRD. She was one skater I made I stayed well clear of if I could lol. She was tougher than coming up against the boys when I played as part of The Pussywhips in 2010.

9. What’s your favourite position to play in a pack?

I love playing Pivot, and I work hard at being a good one.

10. Have you had any roller derby related injuries? If so, what?

Injured my knee social skating early on, but didnt take any time off. Had some bruises and sore muscles - but not as yet any real injuries *touch wood*..

11. Have you struggled with a particular thing/skill in roller derby and thought to yourself ‘Why the hell am I doing this?’ How do you get over the mental hurdles?

Of course I have, all sorts of things - cross overs were a toughy, took me a long time to get them properly.. I guess its just one of those things - when you find something hard you have to decide how badly you want it to give it a go and push yourself out of your comfort zone.

12. Apart from your scheduled training, do you do any training in your own time? If so, what?

I social skate whenever I can, and I use that time to work on endurance and some balance conditioning and if I got some of my girls there we always give a few lil hits ;)

I do a lot of offskates core work - for me, having a good core is so important for derby, to be able to give and take those hits as well as hold your own against positional blocking and to hold you all together when you fall.

13. Could you please teach me how to hit effectively and destructively like you? :)

I sure can.

Hitting isn't about the strength behind it - but being able to read when is the best time and best place to hit. It can be a light hit - but done at the right time in the right spot can make the receiver feel like they have been hit by a Mac truck.

14. What’s your best roller derby memory to date?

Playing as part of the Pussywhips and as part of the City team in 2010 are some pretty spesh memories. As part of the City team I got to play with two of my idols - Bitchy'n'Scratchy and Rabid Fire and I will never forget that!

The Cocktails and Canopeners Awards Nights 2010 was also another great memory - won myself an award and got to marry my Derby Wife, Poz O'Tiff!

15. What roller derby related goals would you like to achieve in the next 2 years?

Well I'm looking forward to taking my new league into a bouting year in 2012 - thats a huge goal of mine! I love coaching H*A*R*D, the members we have are some of the hardest working and dedicated skaters I've ever met.

Surviving the training day H*A*R*D have set up with Bonnie D. Stroir is pretty high on my priorities hehehe

There are a few other goals in there, but I don't wanna let the cat out of the bag until we've sorted the details ;)

16. Have you had any cool/funny/crazy etc fan experiences? If so, what?

One league I went to guest coach had a member who had an issue of Hit & Miss Magazine I was in and she asked me to autograph it lol.. I had a couple of ppl who I do not know call out my Derby name in the middle of my local westfeilds - that was surreal.

I meet other skaters at bootcamps and when I go to guest coach and the like and Ive come up against some who admit they were intimidated to talk to me cause I was "Atomic Cherry" - that I don't understand, I'm just another skater like them and I am super lovely :)

Then there is this skater in my league who is a self confessed 'fangirl' of mine and its cute to see her when she goes all shy around me hehe

17. Any last words?

*NOTE - There is no answer for this question because Cherry snobbed me on this one :)

BRIGAND STRONG

Skates with Newcastle Roller Derby League.

1. What’s the story behind your roller derby name?

There’s no real story – my real name is Brigid and my sisters and friend were tossing around some names. Occasionally they called me ‘Brig’ which became ‘Brigand Strong’ with their help. It was a close call between that and ‘Heinous de Milo’. Nothing too flashy.

2. What’s the story behind your derby number? 

Originally it was 2.2 GPa (to do with the tensile strength of carbon piano wire, as piano was a major part of my pre-derby life). From then on I had officials asking me to alter it for some reason or another, and then another NRDL skater chose a similar number, and I was told it made it harder for officials to distinguish between us. I sadly changed it to 212 to stop the noise. It has no original meaning anymore for me, so I tell people it's the boiling point of water at sea level in Fahrenheit. I do like that it's a palindrome.

3. What’s your current skate setup?

Roller Derby Heaven set me up with Riedell 595 boots (highly recommended for long skinny feet) and Reactor plates. I am currently on Hyper Shaman wheels. Ezeefit booties come wherever my feet go - they are my saviours!

4. What was it that drew you to the wonderful world of roller derby?

A 2009 Google search looking for leagues in Sydney, which provided an instant surprise in the form of a NRDL sign-up day at the end of that same week. The biggest hurdle was stifling my shyness to even turn up.

5. Were you a beast on wheels before you took up roller derby or did you start from scratch?

I skated outdoors as a kid on rollerskates and rollerblades with my sisters sporadically up until I was about 13. Definitely a beast (not)!

6. When you hang up your skates would you like to continue on in the form of coaching?

It depends if my interest gets run into the ground or not. It’s a challenge to do roller derby half-ar$ed. I would certainly try it out, but my lack of an outdoor voice proves challenging.

7. Who are your favourite skaters?

Crush n Kik and Brutal Deluxe from NBR are my recent favourites. They look so cool on the track together!

8. Who is the toughest skater you’ve come up against in a bout?

A lot of people will say King Cam, and I agree. Tough because she just keeps on hitting, yeowch!

9. What’s your favourite position to play in a pack?

I do tend to end up near the front.

10. Have you had any roller derby related injuries? If so, what?

Just bruises (and hangovers) so far!

11. Have you struggled with a particular thing/skill in roller derby and thought to yourself ‘Why the hell am I doing this?’ How do you get over the mental hurdles?

I struggle with the pre-game nerves more than anything. That's really the only time I think 'Why do I continue to put myself through this every time?' I have been negative to those around me at this point, and well before it. Nothing cures it apart from the first jam. And nothing feels better than the end of the final jam. That might not be the spirit derby wants, but it’s how I feel.

12. Apart from your scheduled training, do you do any training in your own time? If so, what?

It comes in waves. Nothing official and nothing involving a gym membership. I am not an example to be followed.

13. Could you please teach me how to hit effectively and destructively like you? :)

Are you sure you have the right person for this question?

14. What’s your best roller derby memory to date?

I think in your early days you can feel this kind of rush, and skating out with your team with a crowd watching did get me excited. It starts out making you so happy. I don’t feel that so much anymore as much as nerves, and the hope I won’t embarrass myself too much.

15. What roller derby related goals would you like to achieve in the next 2 years?

I would love to get my little sisters on the track with me. I have a plan involving lots of nagging when one sister in particular is finished with her university degree.

16. Have you had any cool/funny/crazy etc fan experiences? If so, what?

Fan? Oh yes, the Cramp is one of my derby wives (now relocated to Melbourne sadly) along with Nata Lickit. The Cramp and I joined NRDL within about a week of each other. People came up to her all the time saying how awesome she was, and then asking me what I thought of her awesomeness and asked when I was going to join her in playing derby. I’m just not one of those noticeable players.

17. Any last words?

Agile like an armadillo!

GODJILLA SOLD SEPARATELY

Skates with Newcastle Roller Derby League

1. What’s the story behind your roller derby name?

I really wanted a monster name and stumbled over GodJilla. I then checked two evils it was taken (Boo). But I did notice that others extended their names and it was ok, so that got me thinking. The Sold Separately mostly represents that you will find a different person at derby then you will in other areas of my life. And becasue it is so long, you will see on most jerseys GodJilla*

2. What’s the story behind your roller derby number?

This story is just boring. It is the number I used when I played inline hockey.

3. What’s your current skate setup?

Well, I'm just about to change to Antiks with a Reator plate (thanks Morriset Derby Heaven for putting up with my exact specifications), but currently I'm on Riedel Vandal. These are the 265 boot with the Thrust nylon plate. Wheels I have also just changed. I am trying out a G-Rod/Low Boy combination instead of my D-Rods. Both set ups I really like. I'm also getting the new skates with Jukes - can't wait to try that! And Bones Swiss bearings all the way!!!

4. What was it that drew you to the wonderful world of roller derby?

I have been skating since a weeeeee kiddie (about age 5). In the early 2000s my local skating rink shut down and I didn't want to go over to the ice rink (weird as I also use to ice skate). After years of dreaming about skating, an old skating friend ran into another old skating friend and told me about it. I didn't really know what derby was, but I knew it was on skates and that was all I needed. I now realise what a personal gold mine I ran into! 

5. Were you a beast on wheels before you took up roller derby or did you start from scratch?

I'd been skating for a while, but getting back on the tools (skates) did take a little reminding. In my non-skating period I also played rugby, so it kinda combined really well and has worked out. I certainly can't say I started from scratch, but I am still learning! 

6. When you hang up your skates would you like to continue on in the form of coaching?

I don't ever plan to hang up the tools, but I will have to slow down at some point. But yes, I hope to keep coaching for as long as people will put up with me for.

7. Who are your favourite skaters?

There are sooooo many and each for very different reasons! There really are alot of players I love watching, but to name a few: In NRDL my two fav skaters are Danger Ass and Brigand Strong. Both skaters are amazing all rounders. Within NSW, I loves the Winnie Bruise (MW), such determination; Janis DropEm, a booty that you have to watch to believe; and Short Stop, talk about a small bottle of destruction! Since Rollercon, there are so many more, but if I keep writing I'll name half the universe.

8. Who is the toughest skater you’ve come up against in a bout?

Toughest player, I'll keep it local... That would have to be King Cam from CRDL. Not only is she a mean blocker, she seems to be so fit that she just never slows down during a bout!

9. What’s your favourite position to play in a pack?

I like to play at the back of the pack. Either offensive or defensive. I think I play the role of intimidator pretty well ;) 

10. Have you had any roller derby related injuries? If so, what?

Knees... I had bad knees to start, previously I had destroyed them in other sports. But from what the physio says, the new injury to both knees is destruction of my PCL. I really do need to stop treating my knees so badly. 

11. Have you struggled with a particular thing/skill in roller derby and thought to yourself ‘Why the hell am I doing this?’ How do you get over the mental hurdles?

Fitness. I keep having to have that 'conversation' with myself to pull my finger out. That is a bit mental struggle for me. 

12. Apart from your scheduled training, do you do any training in your own time? If so, what?

I keep saying when it is Summer I will get back to things. I do a little street skating (little), and am known to pop into a gym or jump on a bike. But none of this is done all the time. So, officially (and currently) I will hang my head in shame and say no. 

13. Could you please teach me how to hit effectively and destructively like you? :)

Yes. As the amazing Daisy Boo Cannon and I were discussing, it is physics and timing. But anyone can be amazing blockers, it is all about knowing how to use the track, where to hit, and what your strengths are.  

14. What’s your best roller derby memory to date?

I loved being part of The Great Southern Slam. Loved representing NRDL there, loved playing with Massive Attack and the Ref Bangers. Loved meeting people from everywhere in Aus enjoying the same crazy sport.

15. What roller derby related goals would you like to achieve in the next 2 years?

Most of my goals are around fitness, but I don't like to be two specific as my measures change all the time. 

16. Have you had any cool/funny/crazy etc fan experiences? If so, what?

Not too many. I'm really surprised when I'm contacted by people who have seen me play and have inspired them to get into that - its amazing. 

The only other thing that cracks me up regularly is that people completely don't recognise me off skates. At TGSS, I was talking at the store and mentioned my derby name, they stopped in their tracks and looked me up and down, I offered that I don't look as big off skates, and they giggled and said 'yer, you really don't' and started measuring themselves against me. That was a bit weird, but funny.

17. Any last words?

Derby love - its the best! 

How to make a complete tit of yourself and other shenanigans

This post is a break from tradition but after the events at the Newcastle bout on Saturday night I reckon it deserved its own post. I'll have my normal weekly round up post up in the next few days. So without further ado here's my recap/sort of review from the Fort Smashley's vs Harbour Hellcats bout :)

There's bit of a back story to how I got to this point, it all goes back to October 2010 when my sister Ness and I went to watch our first roller derby bout which was WSR vs NRDL. We were both cheering for WSR as we were joining them in the next intake and unfortunately they got hammered. Ness wants to be a jammer so she fell in love with Suzy Pow who jammed really well that night. I on the otherhand was completely mesmerised by Godjilla Sold Separately she was a human wrecking ball of a blocker and not only that the woman could jam. All I could think was I want to be as good as her, she's fucking amazing! Here's a bit of trivia my other favourite skater Atomic Cherry was bouting against Godjilla that night, how lucky was I see them coming up against each other on the track :)

That was the last time I saw her bout because up until a month ago my Saturday night's were occupied so it was hard to get time off to go to any bout. Fast forward to the present time and Ness and I were making our way up the F3 to go to the bout. We used to go to Redhead when we were kids which was just down the road from where the bout was being held. My dad said to look for the Charlestown exit but that was supposed to be when I took the scenic route exit, silly me kept looking for the Charlestown exit while I was on the F3. I realised I stuffed up when the F3 finished and I was seeing directions for Brisbane. I looked at the street directory not only did I pass Gateshead, I went past Newcastle too. I worked out if I went on the Pacific Hwy and stayed on it we'd get to the turn off for the venue. Despite staying on the Pacific Hwy I somehow managed to get off it and found myself near the beach. So I figured out another route to the venue as we took the scenic route of Newcastle and hooray we got to the bout with 15 mins to spare.

We caught up with Ivy and Pepa and watched the bout with them. When it came to which team to follow I naturally picked Fort Smashleys because Godjilla played for them, Ness picked Harbour Hellcats because Suzy Pow played for them. Funnily enough both were captains for their respective sides that night. I knew I was screwed when both teams came out for their skateouts I went into fangirl mode, while I might not scream and freak out like Ness does, I'm more like a stunned mullet unable to talk. In what must have been a twist of fate around the third jam Godjilla lined up as blocker with Suzy Pow as jammer. As they were coming around the bend Godjilla completely took out Suzy Pow right in front of us, I was cheering like crazy, Ness wasn't too happy though :D

Godjilla has this really cool technique for the most part she'll look as though she's just skating casually then all of a sudden she'll sprint and land a hit out of nowhere. I lost count of how many bodies she left in her wake. Naturally I compared her blocking style and tactics to Cherry's. Cherry likes to lead from the front and play pivot and carve until the cows come home. Godjilla is almost always the last blocker and organises her side in front of her depending on what's going on with the jammers behind her. She'll often push her own team mates onto a jammer if she can't get to them. The Hellcats got the better of her once when they double teamed her so that she couldn't get to their jammer as she skated passed them. It was just great to be able to watch and learn from her from the sideline. If I ever got the chance to get hitting practise from her you wouldn't be able to wipe the smile off my face for a week :)

That's right there was a bout that night. Fort Smashley started off strongly, the Hellcats couldn't get a look in then all of a sudden they got a 15-0 jam and got right back into the bout. It was such a see-saw affair but then the Hellcats started pulling ahead, the Smashley's tried clawing back but ran out of time with the Hellcats running out the victors that night 101-86. It ended up being the most fun bout I've been to yet. While I analyse the hell out of the SRDL bouts that I've been to with their tactics and formations this bout reminded me of the bouts you see in Whip It. Sure I was distracted when Godjilla was on the track and I was trying to learn from her style of play but both sides looked like they were having a great time. They'd dance before the start of a jam or on the seat if they got sent to the penalty box. During an official time two of them were chasing each other on the track and ended up rolling around on the track. Special mention has to go to The Cramp she had me in stitches, she was the funniest of the lot :D

Once the bout was over Ivy and Ness went outside to chat to Suzy Pow, I followed Pepa to meet Godjilla. Pepa managed to line up an interview with her during half time. Unfortunately I went into fangirl mode, I literally couldn't get the words out of my mouth. Pepa had to introduce me to Godjilla then Godjilla surprised me for the first time that night when she said she knew who I was and that she was waiting to see how long it would take me to come up and talk to her, and yet I still couldn't get a word out of my mouth. Pepa was interviewing her so I kept my mouth shut as I didn't want to interrupt even though I had all these questions but when Pepa asked if I had any questions for Godjilla I went completely blank AGAIN! I couldn't have been more pathetic if I tried but nope I managed to outdo myself a few seconds later when Jilla asked me 'And how are you?' I know I pulled a stupid face, I felt it even Ivy mentioned it later. I just remember thinking has she been following my status updates on Facebook, does she actually read my blog so that she knows about all my injury dramas? I eventually answered her and we sort of got a conversation going but it was an absolute shocker from my end. Then she surprised me again when she remembered the advice request I sent her late last year which I put in my words of wisdom post, I didn't even bring it up. All in all it was a complete train wreck of a first meeting from my end. I'm 28 years old but I acted like a teeny bopper without the screaming, although Ness went one better than me and screamed when she met Suzy Pow :D Jilla is completely down to earth and happy to have a chat with anyone and if I'm lucky enough one day I'll come up against her one day on the track. Hopefully I'll have the whole starstruck feeling out of my system the next time I catch up with her :)

Just to top the night off I took the wrong exit on the F3 and ended up taking the long way home, it summed up my night really haha.    

You gotta roll with it, you gotta take your time, you gotta say what you say, don't let anybody get in your way

I figured I'd open up with lyrics from Oasis' 'Roll with it' it actually summed up the past few weeks I've had with all things roller derby. Since I've summed it up, I'll see you next week :P In all seriousness personally I think it's been a great week and here's why...

Thanks to my dodgy ankle Cherry was cool with letting me go slowly in terms of training so that I don't injure my ankle further. I spent Friday's training session skating by myself on the other court. I stopped when it started getting sore and kept skating when it felt ok again and repeat. It also allowed me to learn how to skate again without the ankle guards. It's become a lot easier now and I no longer feel dependant on the ankle guards so it'll help strengthen my ankles even more which is a good thing. Towards the end of the night they had the 'queen of the rink' game, us freshies served as obstacles on the court and those that got knocked down or sent out of bounds joined us. No surprise that Cherry won both games. The second game had a twist us freshies were allowed to join in. To say I was excited would be the understatement of the year, I was as happy as my dog Bruno is when you ask him if he wants to go for a walk :D Needless to say due to my excitement all self control went out the window and boy did I pay. I didn't go for any fellow freshies instead I went for the more experienced skaters. I gave Lynda a little hit which got her attention so the next time I skated towards her she was ready for me. When we shoulder hit each other I went splat on the floor. I landed a bit heavy on my left side so my left shoulder and elbow felt a bit sore plus only I could do this but I somehow pulled a muscle in my right calf while I was falling down :D Despite all that I was ready to get up right away and engage in more hits and falls but the rules are once you hit the ground you're out of the game. While sitting on the track I had a massive grin on my face because I learnt a little something about myself - that I could take a hit and fall down but I would get back on my feet and keep carrying on. Also don't lose your head when you're engaging in hits because it won't take much to knock you down!

I went to Skatel on both Saturday morning and night so it ended up being a great workout. I'm getting better and dodging the little kids when they cut in front of you at the last second and I'm really enjoying skating now despite my ankle still not being right. It was the first time I'd ever been to Skatel on a Saturday night and the rumours are 100% true, it's bloody crazy on a Saturday night. The little kids are like kamikaze's, it's dark when they put the disco lights on. I did enjoy it though and put it down as helping prepare me for scrimmage practise. When there's no bouts on I'd like to go there more often. In other great news that night I finally got to catch up with Ivy and Jo who are some of my friend's from WSR and skate with them for the first time in many months which left a big smile on my dial. We're also heading up to Newcastle this Saturday to watch the intraleague bout between the Harbour Hellcats and Fort Smashleys. I'm regretting opening my big mouth because I told Ivy that I've never actually met Godjilla, I've only seen her bout so Ivy has taken it upon herself to get me to talk to Godjilla on Saturday night. The problem is when it comes to me meeting people that I admire or look up to I get incredibly shy, go red in the face, start stuttering, sound like an idiot, all of the above. There's still times when I get shy around Cherry and I still shake my head when I think about the time I finally met Neil Mellor. So yeah I may have to hide from both Godjilla and Ivy on Saturday night :P

Training on Sunday night ended up being my best one yet. I didn't do any skill work but I did do endurance. I joined the yellow and orange stars for 20 minute endurance skating. This time I was listening to my ipod and I reckon it made a big difference in getting me to complete the 20 mins. I smashed my result from the week before which was 51 laps, I got 65 laps this time around. Also the muscle above my right ankle started hurting midway through the endurance but listening to my ipod and trying to block out the pain got me through it. I was so focussed on beating my previous score that I didn't realise the pain in my leg stopped hurting. This time around I skated for the entire period. While I was getting ready for off skate training, Mick told us we were doing skating endurance so I had another 20 min skating to look forward to. I was on such a natural high after getting through that I was more than ready to attempt it again on the same night, and get through it I did. I got 55 laps on the second attempt but it was still better than the attempt from the previous week and I lasted the entire 20 mins. I did my usual time keeping duties when they had scrimmage practise and got the no pack move correct when the black team took a knee at the start of the jam, that got me a wink from Poz as she skated passed. I learnt that from the last SRDL bout I went to. I like the fact that even though I'm not scrimmaging yet I'm still learning the rules.

So I was pretty happy with how the last week panned out in terms of roller derby. I've had bit of a hard time with it for a while whether it was from injury, fear and frustration but it's a great feeling to come out of it on the other side stronger from the experience. I learnt I could take a hit and fall and get back up and go for it again despite feeling sore. I learnt I can hit the wall and my body wants to give up and I can smash through it with determination and a good playlist on my ipod :P I'm also a lot calmer now at derby now that my first love Liverpool are back in action because the new season has started. My emotions get a good workout watching them play :D

Going backwards (in a good way)

While the never ending injury saga with my ankle continues I've been lucky enough to get some advice from team mates and skaters from other leagues over the last few weeks. Taking Cheya's advice I decided to try and skate with my ankles strapped instead of wearing the ankle guards at training last Friday night. I quickly discovered that I've become over reliant on the ankle guards, my ankles were all over the shop without the guards on. It honestly felt like I was learning how to skate again for the first time. I took it easy while I tried getting the hang of skating again without the guards. We just started endurance when a few minutes in that unmistakable pain in my ankle struck again. I was fuming inside and it was that anger that got me to finish the endurance even though common sense says I should have gone straight off when I first felt the pain in my ankle. Mick came over to see how I was and offered some good advice. I swear this sport really gets to me. I hardly ever cry but ever since I've started roller derby I've cried or been on the verge of crying more than I have in my entire lifetime. Before I started bawling my eyes out in front of everyone, I took my derby gear off, grabbed my ipod and headed outside. On my way out I think someone asked me if I was ok but I can't even remember my reply now. Sitting on the curb outside and listening to Silverstein I was trying to get all the negative thoughts and feelings out of my system.

I had a chat with Cherry later that night to see what I could do about this never-ending injury scenario. I settled on taking it easy while at training by skating by myself and not focussing too much on the skills side of it while working on strengthening my ankles in my own time. I was more than happy to do that it beat sitting down at training and not doing anything. I was sick of constantly losing whatever momentum I'd gain when I get injured. On Sunday I joined the Sergeants and Lieutenants for their 20 minute endurance. It was the first time I attempted to skate for that long. I tried staying out their way and hugged the inside line for the entire time. I was skating as if I was going for a Sunday drive because I didn't want to cause any further injury. I got around 51 laps give or take a few because I think I doubled up on some of the laps. I thought that was ok considering I wasn't pushing myself. I know I could better than that if I really tried. The muscle above my left knee was burning by the end of it though, you probably could have fried an egg of it :) I was happy by the end of it, although I couldn't do the skill work the freshies were doing on the other court at the time, it allowed me to work on skating properly without ankle guards and improve my fitness levels so it's helping me in that regard. As for off skates training, I knew what to expect and yep it still sucks, but I know it's an important part in becoming a good derby player. Afterwards while off skates, Mon was skating near me so I got into a derby stance pretending I was going to hit her, she took the bait and skated towards me to hit me. I thought since she had all the momentum I was going to go flying when she hit me instead she landed on her arse after we collided while I stood my ground, sorry wifey :D I know I can't do all this 'fun' stuff at training while I'm still a Private so I think I need some willing partcipants to go with me to Skatel so that I can do all this hitting and carving practise so that it's out of my system when training comes around and I'm not a whinghing, pain in the arse because I have to be an obstacle on the track instead of being allowed to join in the game with them. Anyone want to offer :P

I knew from the very first time I put on roller skates that roller derby wasn't going to be an easy sport but sometimes it feels as though it's taking the piss with the never-ending injury issues. It sometimes feels as though it's testing my resolve by chipping away at it with each setback until I eventually give up and walk away. That's how I feel at my lowest point but on the other hand each knock back that I come back from feels like a little victory because I didn't give up. If I keep coming back for more then the thought of being on the receiving end of a hit from Cherry, Godjilla or Mon doesn't seem too scary ;) I must admit when I heard that there will be try outs for the next H*A*R*D intake it raised up some thoughts I've been having for a while. Am I wasting a spot in our league? Could it be put to better use by someone who will actually progress quicker instead of being stuck in the same position that I am?

Last Saturday night, Homebush was the place to be for roller derby goodness unless you headed to Canberra to watch their bout :) My favourite team The D'viants won against WSR but it went to the last jam and could have gone either way. Unfortunately SAS lost to the Beauty school knockouts :( I loved watching the tactics and how the blockers would help their jammer out by taking out or pushing away the opposing blockers so that the jammer could get passed. I learnt new things like the no pack move at the start of the jam to get the jammers started right away instead of waiting for all the blockers to go passed the pivot line. Since I do the time keeping duties at scrimmage practise I caught out the time keeper at the bout blowing the jammer whistle too early a few times. I love bouts they're so educational and fun to watch.

Lastly my training sessions with Suzie are going ok I think. I'm barely surviving the sessions with her at the gym, she's a hard arse but it's what I need for my lazy arse. I've made a few changes to what I eat and drink, add in my roller derby training and sessions at the gym and it all equals to weight loss unless I've already broken the new scales. I beat the first weight target Suzie set me by 1.3 kg's and I'm well on track to get passed the lose 4kg's in 6 weeks target she set me a few weeks ago. I can't see any real change to my body shape but it all heaps. By the time I reach all my weight and fitness goals I won't be such an easybeat on the derby track so if you're going to hit me it better be a good one ;)

Nothing but a dreamer

I think roller derby really is on my brain because last Wednesday night I had bit of a weird dream involving my two favourite skaters. In my dream I was training with Cherry and Godjilla on an indoor basketball court while some blokes were shooting hoops around us. I remember I was really happy in my dream because I got to train with both of them. One day I'll be on the same track as them and it'll be epic :)

I wanted to apologise about my last post, I let my frustration get the better of me and it spilled out onto here. I so badly want to finally pass my Corporal/white star test this time that I was more focussed on what I couldn't do than what I could do. It's funny I've had people tell me at training that my skating has improved but I haven't really noticed that much change because all I've done is shift my Skatel mentality to training.

Friday training was pretty interesting. Us freshies were practising weaving. This is one thing I'm good at because my huge arse helps make it easier to swing around. To make it more difficult we eventually used people instead of cones to weave around. This actually required better technique as the people were closer and taller so it made it more difficult to weave around. As a joke Sarah suggested I nudge Liz as I went around here. There's a massive difference in size between Liz and I. I could probably hurt her without putting too much into a hit so I didn't put anything into the hit and she almost went flying, the second tap sent her back a few steps, sorry Liz :D Afterwards the more experienced skaters got to try and knock down each other while us freshies got to be obstacles on the track. I would have had my arse handed to me but I really wanted to join in. Whether it's confidence or stupidity (probably the second one) I'm not getting any fear in my head when I think about doing the hitting practise, I just want to do it :) I felt like Scrappy Doo, you know the annoying little nephew of Scooby Doo who would take on people twice his size in battles he had no right being involved in.

No Skatel for me last weekend instead I went to try on bridesmaids dresses. The story is one of my sister's is getting married next year so Ness and I will be bridesmaid's. I'm a massive tomboy and the last time I wore a dress was for my year 12 formal in 2000 when my mum forced me to wear one. I was so out of my element. I spent 1/2 hour sweating, trying to squeeze into dresses, having to adjust my boobs so the dresses would fit properly. I tell you I got more of a workout in that 1/2 hour than I do at roller derby training :P Some of my so called team mates have already started giving me stick about wearing a dress with threats of having pics of me in a dress as their profiles pics on Facebook. With team mates like that who needs enemies :P

Sunday training was bit of a mixed bag. I still suck at the things I can't do, I did well at the things I can do. Dicey let me try her Hyper Shaman wheels. They were great to skate on, a nice smooth roll, pretty responsive and no squeaking like my Interceptors yay! For part of the training we were skating around in groups of three. I was with Jeremy and Lynda. We skated well as a group, we nailed all the different exercises we were given. I noticed my skating around the bends improved in both directions. I was gunning the corners instead of slowing down too much. I thought I'd try and sneak into the Corporal/Sargaents group when they were doing their scrimmage/hitting work but I got busted by Cherry and sent to the other track. Maybe next time I'll wear a black coloured shirt and blend in with the rest of them as my red Liverpool shirts tend to stick out in a crowd :) I was pushing myself on the other track trying to do crossovers when I felt that all too familiar pain in my right ankle. Trying to delude myself I went around the track a couple more times but I knew I did something to my ankle again. I went off and iced it for the rest of the session. After all these injuries and setbacks in the space of seven months I think I'm all cried out so I sat there with a defeated look on my face.

I have a shocking history of being a bottler but roller derby is the first thing in years that I've not quit. It's something that I want to do real badly. I've surprised myself so far, with all the setbacks I've had with roller derby I still manage to pick myself up and come back for more. Perhaps I've got more of a fighting spirit and stubborness than I give myself credit for. Maybe because my star sign is libra and I always look at both sides of an arguement but it was the first time I've seriously wondered whether I was made to do roller derby. The hunger to do it is definately there but perhaps my body isn't. I don't want to quit but maybe it's out of my hands. Cherry said she had continual problems with her knee when she started, she stuck with it and now she's an absolute monster on the track, so maybe there's some hope for me yet. I tried making light of the situation by posting this pic on my Facebook (sums it all up really hehe)

Suzie is totally busting my arse during our PT sessions at the gym and I love it :) Last week it was all about weights and balancing and it was stuff that was derby related. I remember when we were going through all the exercises I was thinking this particular exercise would be good for can openers, this one would be good for single knee falls etc. Suzie has set me some short term goals which I'm trying to achieve. I've also set one for myself. I bought myself a stack of shirts from one of my favourite online stores 80s tees but they're all a size smaller than what I wear. Once I lose enough weight so that they fit properly on me without looking like they were painted on me I'll be rewarded with some cool shirts to wear :)