By day, these women are students, scientists and even politicians, but when they get together and hit the roller derby track, their alter egos come to life.
“The best thing I’ve ever heard is: ‘It’s like chess, but you have bricks thrown at you,'” Tracy “Knotty” Reid said.
Reid said the growing sport of roller derby is not for the faint of heart. It’s known for its hard hits and a flair for the dramatic. Reid said the sound of wheels hitting corners and players hitting the ground is familiar to most derby girls.
“First thing we teach you is how to fall. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Roller derby started picking up steam in southern Alberta several years ago. In Lethbridge, the Derby Dames have been a key player in the sport’s growth. With somewhat of a checkered past, roller derby has recently generated more mainstream interest.
“As a sport we’ve seen it change over the last 10 years,” Jesse “Clara Crossbow” Harsanyi said. “It’s become an actual athletic sport, versus being an entertaining wrestling-type thing. It’s something that invites a lot of people.”
Players said the sport not only requires skill and athleticism, but also builds confidence and inclusiveness.
“People come to us, and they say, ‘I’ve never felt included, and now I’ve found my people,'” Reid said.
“It’s a bunch of adult women who are trying to boost each other up and make each other feel special,” Madison “Mad Dawg” Stocker said.
In contrast to other competitive sports, players said, in this arena, it’s the more the merrier.
“We don’t care – your sex, shape or size,” Reid said. “If you want to play derby, we will get you there.”