Personal Narrative: My Life Before Roller Derby

Girls should be like flowers, dainty and sweet; however, I never really fit into that stereotype. I loved playing dress-up like every other little girl, but I usually killed my Prince and saved myself. I was tough and independent. I did not need anyone to tell me what I could and could not do. I did things little girls were not supposed to. I broke every gender role you could think of. I sat with my legs wide open, belched, and could not be caught dead in a skirt. Because I was not your typical Southern Belle, I had a hard time fitting in. I did not have a lot of friends that were girls because I was considered unladylike and a bad influence, so I hung out with the boys. As I got older, I craved acceptance. I tried to be someone I was not for friends. I threw out all my clothes and dressed as a girl was supposed to. My closet changed from skinny jeans and t-shirts to skirts and blouses. I curled my hair and wore makeup every day. Just

Roller Derby has become who I am. When the league was shut down because of financial issues, my life came to a halt. How was I going to cope? I lost my friends. I lost my outlet. I lost who I was. The only thing I knew how to do was skate it out. Nothing could stop me, I was a Derby Girl after all. I switched my Derby skates out for a pair of outdoor skates, and after a bad day or when life just got to be too much, you could find me around the neighborhood just skating it all away. When I moved a thousand miles away from home, I found a Roller Derby league before I found an apartment. I moved away not knowing anyone or anything, but I was perfectly content because I had a new Roller Derby family waiting for me. It may be an entirely new group of girls, but regardless we are Derby Girls, so we are family connected through years of blood, sweat, and tears for this sport. The world could give me it’s absolute worst, but I am stronger because of Derby. I can do anything because of