Roxy Carolla

I couldn't skate, not even a little bit...I thought I could but I was rubbish!

I feel I should back up a bit..... in 2008 two of my very good friends, who live in the fair city of Edinburgh, took up Roller Derby and joined the Auld Reekie Roller Girls League -they are Anarchick and Crazylegs. Once they started talking about it I was itching to know more and to attend a bout! After a few failed attempts to see a bout finally me and my significant other, the lovely Ian, packed up the kids and took a trip down to London town to see the first Roller Derby European Championship - Roll Britannia. It was every bit as exciting as I imagined and I couldn't stop talking about it!!!!!

With a bit of encouragement from the lovely Ian I set to work finding out where my nearest League was - turned out to be the Dolls. I asked some like-minded mates if they wanted to come along and with their immediate and whole-hearted enthusiasm I emailed the dolls and ordered some skates! The response was really enthusiastic and the excitement level upped a notch. So it was on the 7th August 2009 Louise (Luna), Nicola (Bob n Weave), Claire (Jet) and I went to our first practice!

It was straight in there - learning falls, doing drills, speed(!?) skating. Luna was a natural, Jet and Bob held their own and I, it has to be said, was utterly crap; and got knocked over in a thunder of wheels during 50 in 10, one of the many times I fell on my arse. But the Dolls were fantastic... Twink T helped me out and took it nice and steady and just gave me loads of confidence to keep trying. Loads of the other Dolls gave encouraging comments too. Despite my ineptitude I came out of the practice buzzing and on an extreme high!!!

After the initial whirl-wind first practice it didn’t stop, I was determined to master Plough stops (thought they were called Power Stops for about 2 months, a better name I feel) and Lemons, crossovers and baseball falls! Those first few months were all about dogged determination as I struggled to master any level of skating technique, let alone work out how to play derby! But you see that is the great thing about Roller Derby and it is one of the best thing about the Leeds Roller Dolls, there are so many people who are willing to help you get better, to show you for the 10th, 20th time how to do a T-Stop, to skate behind you in a speed paceline, encourage you and ensure you can reach into that last little reserve of energy. So many of the Dolls have helped me to where I am now.

Last year I skated in my first Intraleague with two of my best friends, while another ref’d. I got to skate with the Rotten Rollers in my first open Bout and I skated in my first Tournament with the fantastic Whip-its. I have made so many new friends and got to spend more time with my old friends.

LRD has an exciting new season ahead I couldn’t be more pleased to be here with them.
xx