Dirrty Dancer | Sportsperson
Dirrty Dancer
Reviews
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23.01.2022 Quite unintentionally I have not been to any derby training or event for the past four months. Worried about my milk supply I started skipping training sessions. Then the sudden move back to Queensland, to a town without a derby league, extended my absence. I miss watching live games (so excited for Tropicarnage next weekend!). I miss training with my friends. I miss the gruelling workouts. I miss Sunday scrimmage. I miss just having a chat while skating the track. Then I look at my son as he starts to stand and walk unassisted, as he says another new word, as he investigates something new and I forget that I miss roller derby for another month. Sometime soon, we will be moving to Brisbane and I can return to the sport I love, but in the meantime I'll be enjoying all that motherhood has to offer.
18.01.2022 My hiatus from roller derby has lasted much longer than I expected. So when I returned to Gladstone earlier this year, to participate in Epic Scrim 2015, the phrase 'if you don't use it, you lose it' exactly describes what happened to me. At the same event two years ago, I was at the peak of my fitness. I played multiple games over the course of two days and I kept going and going and going. I was light on my feet, jumping out of the way of blockers and when I was knocked dow...n I recovered quickly and kept on skating. This year I played two games and nearly died!! I had retained my speed, but my stamina was gone, which meant I didn't have speed for very long. One jam and I was exhausted. My footwork was sloppy, I kept falling over and I could no longer jump out of blockers' way. My old teammates, whom I could previously hold my own, were pummelling me and I could not break through the pack at all. I am so proud of how far Gladstone Roller Derby has come and the Haul Stars are inspiring to watch (which I will be doing next weekend!), but for me personally, it was disheartening to be back at fresh meat level. Even though I had returned to clean eating (during my pregnancy and for at least a year afterwards I made poor food choices and piled on the kilos) and lost all the weight I had gained, I was nowhere near the fitness I still thought I had. I went from working out and training 6 days a week, to doing absolutely nothing. My muscles wasted and grew weak. I know stepping back from roller derby to be with my son was the best decision for me. But quitting exercise and a healthy diet was a big mistake. I could say lesson learned, but it's a lesson I have had to learn repeatedly my entire life. I am due to complete my Personal Trainer qualification at the end of this year, so this time I will learn and retain it. Plus, now that my son is a very independent little man and doesn't need me 24/7, I can join one of Brisbane's roller derby leagues and restart my derby career. See more
16.01.2022 I am pleased to announce that Stax Master and I are expecting our second child in March 2017, so I will not be playing roller derby for some time. Instead I will be supporting my league in a non-skating capacity.
06.01.2022 I was recently asked to explain why I liked roller derby and when I couldn't give an immediate response, it made me reflect on what it is about roller derby that appeals to me so much. Firstly, I love doing fitness that is fun. I have struggled with anxiety and depression for most of my life and as such am constantly doubting and second-guessing everything I do. But when I am on the track, my mind is empty of all that nonsense and I am 100% focused on the game. And the endorp...hin's would kick in, helping to keep me happy. Then there's the adrenaline rush. I have always loved going at high speed. I was the kid who would have their foot firmly planted on the go-cart accelerator, never once slowing down for the curves and whose favourite PlayStation games were the ones where you had no control over your speed and only able to go left, right or jump. There's no comparison to skating past blockers as they try to knock you off the track. To quote Oh Hell No, Roller Derby is "like playing speed chess while bricks are thrown at you." I also love the persona you can create. In everyday life I am very quiet and sometimes feel like I fade into the background, whereas on the track I am fierce. Every derby player has the opportunity to pick their own derby name and I chose mine because of my love for Ballroom & Latin dancing (that's how I met Stax Master and boy could he dance <3 Funnily enough, Stax Master's name was given to him because he was always falling over). But I think what I like the most about roller derby is that it is an all-inclusive sport. There isn't one body type for roller derby. You don't have to be an athlete to participate. Even if you have never skated, or done anything remotely athletic in your life, the roller derby community welcomes you. Your local roller derby league will teach you everything you need to know to be an awesome roller derby player. See more
06.01.2022 Last night I was invited to participate in my first black and white scrim since joining Sun State and the smile on my face says it all. It was fantastic! I was jammer a few times and even got lead! I was able to hold my own as a blocker too. I now start training with the bouting skaters!!! Yay!! (photos: Richard Tompsett)
04.01.2022 New league, new number!
04.01.2022 Started fresh meat training yesterday with Sun State! It was the first roller derby training I've done in 2 years and it was awesome!! We went over the basics: crossovers, stops and other footwork. We even did 5 minutes laps and I did 27. I'm pretty happy with that result. Afterwards, we watched a skills training session. I have missed this so much and am very excited to be finally getting back into it. And the best bit, I'll be doing it all with my sister!! On a side note: I forgot to bring enough water and a post training snack and boy did I feel horrible a few hours later. I had a massive headache and felt like throwing up. After a 2 hour training session, I should have known better especially since I had just finished my PT qualification! I will be bringing much more water and some coyo yoghurt with fruit, seeds and nuts from now on.
