I started derby as a hobby while going through some life stress. And it did the trick by keeping my mind occupied for the four hours of practice every week. But as I kept showing up and learning and growing, I realized it was slowly having a life-changing effect on me. For one, derby is the best antidote to perfectionism because I had to fail at new skills countless times before improving.
Also derby changed my relationship to my body. Most of my life I’ve viewed my body based on how it looked and how clothes fit. But the stronger I got, and the more hard things my body was able to do, I realized I no longer cared about my size. I started valuing my body for the incredible things it was starting to do. Things I never would have imagined I was capable of.
And the best part of derby are those amazing people who push me to do those hard things. I’ve never met so many strong, kind, encouraging people all in one place. They make me want to keep working and improving. I’m so grateful for having roller derby and this incredible team in my life.
