Tales from the Fresh Meat Locker ~ FM Shannon B.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to be that tough, hot chick you see in the movies. I was a tomboy, who was kind of into sports. I did swimming and tried soccer and football, and recently trained in Muay Thai Kickboxing. But until a little over a month ago I never really thought about roller derby.
Fresh Meat Shannon B.
I found out about the team by seeing a car with ‘Dominion Derby Girls‘ written on the back in window chalk, but I didn’t do anything with it besides glancing over the webpage. But I filed the information away in the back of my brain. And in January that information came to the front once again, my best friend and I started talking about how we would like to be a roller derby girl. And one night the fated words were uttered, “Shannon, let’s do this.”
And here I am.
I bought skates and gear, and went off to the Pre-boot meeting; and off to boot camp I was! I’ll tell you right now, I couldn’t skate for the life of me. I moved ten feet onto the rink and my tailbone had it’s first of many meetings with quite an unforgiving wooden floor. I could barely move a few feet without falling, and continued this new tradition through the time trials. I only made six laps, but with the help of Photon Pixie during those laps I was very slowly getting maybe just a tad bit better. At least I started falling forward! Either way I didn’t finish the rest of boot camp. I was in severe pain and had your tell tale red and puffy I’ve-been-crying-eyes, but I stayed to watch the rest. I stayed and I came back.
I found out that derby isn’t easy, but as everyone on the team says, “If you want it, you will have it.” And I am. I haven’t missed a practice yet, and only a month in I can tell I’ve gotten so much better already. The combined encouragement from the coaches, refs, derby girls, and my fellow fresh meat have helped me come back, and keep coming back. I know I’m not among the best, or even the good skaters out there at the moment, but I’m not letting that stop me.
With every practice I’ve learned that this is more than wanting to be ‘that hot, tough chick’. I’ve learned a lot about myself, about why I want to do this. I want to be a part of this team, of this family; because that is what they are. A family. These girls are already my sisters; the guys, my brothers. They are all such great people. I want this. I will have it!
Tales from the Fresh Meat Locker | admin | 
April 26, 2010 6:00 am
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