November - Sailor Doom

An Interview with…Sailor Doom!

What about derby caught your attention? When did you first start playing?

Seeing photos and videos of my cousin Jalapeño face  and friend Sucrose Overdose throughout the years had me interested around 2010, looking back I wish I would’ve joined sooner!

What was that “one moment” when you knew playing derby was the right thing for you?

My first bout 3 years ago  and ,recently coming back to practice from  my 9 month injury I was struggling with not being where I wanted athletically and  my team/pals were my biggest  supporters when returning and reminding me why I joined, and love this sport

What’s something you’ve learned playing derby that has translated into another part of your life?

be confident with yourself and your performance at hand, believe in yourself, never stop pushing and if you need to take a step back and reset , take a minute find an opening and go for it. Leave it all in the track and don’t hold anything back. And sometimes it’s ok to lean on our friends for support, find your people and stick together, I have found my people.

Do you have a favorite & a least favorite position? Can you elaborate?

My favorite position  is Blocker because it’s fun my least favorite is jamming at the moment  , only because it’s difficult for me but I would like to become better  at being a jammer and be comfortable playing all positions.

What do you do to get ready for a bout?

To prepare for a bout I like to have a healthy/ light meal the day before and day of the bout / stay extra hydrated with a water, and a Gatorade or electrolytes and of course pre workout or Celsius for extra boost!

What advice would you give to someone thinking about playing derby?

Do it!! Check out a game come to a recruitment night, it’s fun, it’s a great way to stay in shape , you  meet some really great people along the way who want to see you succeed and teach you new things! And you get to hit your friends!

Finish this sentence: When I’m not playing derby, I am _____.

With my beautiful baby girl Ellie , working out or hanging with pals!

Do you have a derby mentor?

Yes, there are  a few that I hold  near and dear to my heart, for starters, Anita Slapahoe my Derby mama with her wonderful words of encouragement and inspiration, to “leave it all on the track “ her words continue to adhere to  me. Secondly the  legendary Jinkies, who’s always pushing myself and everyone else to challenge ourselves. Jinkies will take the time to pull you aside to make sure  you understand what you did wrong or right on the track, then show you how you can improve your skill. Last but certainly not least, my derby bestie Smash, after learning something new from Jinkies, I immediately run to Smash with excitement and ask “hey can I try something on you?”, they are always so quick to say yes and allow me to practice on them. They also always challenge me on the track by  keeping me on my toes, and on days  i’m not feeling confident they assure me that I’m doing great and remind me that i just had a baby, which takes time to bounce back from. I  have so much love and appreciation for all three of them.

​What keeps you motivated to keep playing when things get tough?

My partner and teammates one hundred percent , sometimes we get in our own heads about things but when you have wonderful people in your corner who support and hype you up, they can remind us that we’ve  got this!

What’s your favorite part of skating with VCDD?

The people and friends I have met, through the years, Roller Derby when you think about it can be an intimidating sport,  yes it is challenging but the league, and  people that make up VCDD makes it fun and exciting, these are  some of the kindest people you will ever meet, VCDD  has a wonderful group from our officials to our coaches and I love not only the sport itself but the sense of community and family within the sport.

Any last bit of advice you'd like to give people??

If you’ve ever thought about joining Roller Derby, do it! come to a recruitment night or a bout and learn more info, come hangout with us, you don’t have to play or skate to be a part of the league, and you meet some of your greatest pals!