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Get to know the women behind the skates

Contributed by: Eric J. Lubbers/YourHub.com on 2/20/2007

Being a Denver Roller Doll can have a polarizing effect on a woman's personality. Roller Doll Jersey Trouble has two MySpace profiles, one for her derby girl self and one for Jessica Reutlinger, the medical sales rep that Jersey Trouble transforms into from 9 to 5, because she "feels like they are just two distinct personas."

So YourHub.com asked the Roller Dolls to share a little bit about themselves so you can get to know the woman behind the skates and skirts:

Derby name:Angela Death #XIX

Real name:Julie Adams

Age: 25

Day job: Video Editor

Team: The Green Barrettes and The Mile High Club (Denver's Travel Team)

How did you become a Roller Doll? Two years ago I spotted a flyer for another league, looked it up on the internet and went to a practice. It was a match made in heaven for this alterna-jock! I've played ice hockey and snowboarded for many years so it wasn't long at all before I was trained in the rules of derby and ready to rumble!

I became one of the founders of the Denver Roller Dolls in December of
2005 when a group of 15 of us with a full season of derby under our
belts decided that being a non-profit "skater-owned and operated"
organization was important to us.

What was your worst injury during a bout/practice? I've had my share of scrapes and bruises. At the February 16th bout, I slammed my hip bone into the cement floor of the Denver Coliseum and got quite a colorful bruise. I've gotten punched in the face a few times by accident. And every now and then I'll get a hard hit that I
didn't see coming and I'll be feeling it the next day.

What's your favorite part of the sport? The high speed race of a jammer weaving through the pack to score points. It's like being a racecar driver. I may be 5'2" but dynamite comes in small packages.

When I'm blocking, I love it when I hit someone so hard they fly through the air. Most of all I love being a part of this group of smart, beautiful and atheletic women. I just got back from the Dust Devil Tournament in Tucson where I got to see all of the best skaters West of the Mississippi duke it out for the title. It's great to be a
part of the movement, and be able to go to any city and hang out with a group of awesome like-minded women.
________________________________

Derby name: Grannyy Apple, #69

Real name:Kathy Alexander

Age: 42

Day job: Owner/bartender at ANDOLINI'S SPORTS BAR, 1901 Youngfield st., Golden

My Team: THE BAD APPLES!!

How did you become a Roller Doll? I became intersted in Roller Derby when the A&E Reality show ROLLERGIRLS first aired. I didn't realize the sport was so big until I started talking to girls on My-Space. I found the Denver Roller Dolls site, and went to one of their try-outs.

What was your worst derby injury? My worst injury happened during my test up to become a Roller Doll "A" skater. We were doing a "scrimmage" to check blocking/hitting abilities, and I ended up with two cracked ribs!!

What's your favorite part of the sport? My favorite part of roller derby is the feeling of power you get when you are skating at such a high level. It is a very intense sport ... fast paced and hard hitting. As Kathy, I am just a normal girl, but as Grannyy Apple, it feels like I am a super-woman and I can do anything!
________________________________

Derby name: Sinn Dixie

Real name: Rachel Stroupe

Age: 28

Day job: Administrative Asst. for FedEx

Team: injured

How did you become a Roller Doll? I was led to the rink by my hair (by Friction VixXxen)

What was your worst injury during a bout/practice? A broken ankle w/ torn ligaments (still healing)

What's your favorite part of the sport? The dedication to a common cause - derby for one and all!
________________________________

Derby name: Audrey Rugburn

Real name: Erin Blakemore

Age: 26

Day job: Freelance Writer

Team: Benched, but used to be a Shotgun Bettie

How did you become a Roller Doll? I helped found the league! I just
knew I had to get involved with whatever roller derby was.

What was your worst injury during a bout/practice? Dislocated my
kneecap and tore up the cartilage behind my knee - I had surgery in
August and am still recuperating. I have also sported a bloody nose,
a black eye and a bruised tailbone at various points.

What's your favorite part of the sport? The camaraderie...and the
incredible rush of knocking someone down.
________________________________

Derby name: Savage Lucy

Real name: Laura M. Grogan (LCDR Grogan)

Age: 37

Day job: Active Duty with the United States Public Health Service. As a day job, a therapist

Team: Just a "B" skating doll who has been out due to an ankle injury.

How did you become a Roller Doll? I was "discovered" wearing a Minnesota Roller Girl T-shirt at a local muscle car show. I was approached by a girl who asked if I played roller derby girl I said I was not aware of the sport nor did I know how to roller skate. I was then invited to drop by a Thursday practice session where I could learn about the sport and how to skate. I guess that is where it all began.

What was your worst injury during a bout/practice? A major bruise on my left thigh from going over Ivona Killeau in practice. I have never been in a bout.

What's your favorite part of the sport? I love that Roller Derby is a women's specific sport represented by a diverse group of women.
________________________________

Derby name: Sissy Rinkshaw #777

Real name: Jill Montgomery

Age: 24

Day job: Rehabilitation Therapy Tech

Team: The Bad Apples

How did you become a Roller Doll? About two years ago, I was sitting on the floor of my downtown apartment watching local TV on channel 12, and that's when I saw it. A commercial for roller derby. It was done in a very do-it-yourself we-put-our-hearts-into-this style. The girls looked liked fun, so I started going. It seemed like a great way to get back into shape, and just to have some time that was about me.

What was your worst injury during a bout/practice? At the bout, i went completely airborne over my own teammate and landed on my chest, while my legs were still in the air. It knocked the wind out of me completely, and i was very slow to get up. I also have an amazing hip bruise to show for it, but those are fairly common.

What's your favorite part of the sport? It's gotta be the girls. This is a group of very strong and passionate women, of whom I am lucky to consider my friends and sisters.
________________________________

Derby name: Atomic Fire

Real name: Rebecca

Age: 26

Day job: Teacher

Team: Bad Apples

How did you become a Roller Doll? I was terrible at ultimate frisbee and always loved roller skating, so when i heard about roller derby, I had to try it!!

What was your worst injury during a bout/practice? Oddly enough, I've been lucky!! With all that protective gear, i've only had bruises, scrapes, and one concussion.

What's your favorite part of the sport? The camaraderie, and skating with such fantastic women!
________________________________

Derby name: Shey Guevara

Real name: Brandee M.

Age: 28

Day job: Owner - Residential & Commercial Cleaning Business

Team: Green Barrettes

How did you become a Roller Doll? My husband heard about the Denver Roller Dolls and suggested -I- might like it...and that -he- thought it was totally hot!! So, I attended try outs in August or September and have been loving it (the camaraderie, the work out, the charity events we do, etc..) ever since. :)

What was your worst injury during a bout/practice? Bruises. Some blue, some black, depending on the might of the hit/fall. heehee!

What's your favorite part of the sport? That you really -have to- give it your all, when in play and even at practice, in order to acquire the desired results. It's pushed me to push myself continuously! It may sound trite, but it's so true, I now realize I -can- do things I never even gave myself a shot at if I sincerely put my mind (& body-haha!) to it!!
________________________________

Derby name: Ro Chambeau #111

Real name: Roslyn Bauer

Age: 31

Day job: PhD Student in Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (My thesis work is in Diabetes research)

Team: Mile High Club and Green Barrettes

How did you become a Roller Doll? I used to ice skate competitively and consequently, I wasn't too bad at roller skating. Knowing this, a friend forwarded me an email from a woman who was looking for some ambitious (possibly crazy?) women to be involved in starting a roller derby league in Denver. So I emailed back.

What was your worst injury during a bout/practice? So far I've been pretty lucky (knock-on-wood). Although I almost always sport bruises on my hips and lots of velcro burn (it comes from the wrist guards of opposing team members)- the worst thing so far was a bruised jaw and split lower lip from getting cracked in the face with someone's elbow (this is why mouth-guards are essential!). It was an illegal hit- but it happens sometimes.

Favorite part of the sport? Three things: 1)I really like the strategy involved in the game- it's really cool when you figure out a new way to get by someone or trick them into behaving a certain way during the game. 2) I like the feeling of working with other women as a team- both on the track and off the track. In life you don't often get a chance to really be in the situation where you're working with a large group of other women toward a common goal. We're all working together to make our teams strong and competitive, but at the same time we're also working together to make this work out as a business- and so far we seem to be succeeding. We're playing a rough sport and not only are we learning to play it well- but we've got a lot of people interested in watching us play. The fans are all kinds of people: they're equally men and women and they range from 2 years old to 65 years old. It's very exciting to start out with just the idea that you're going to get to play this really cool game and have a good time, and then find out that people are REALLY interested in watching it.
________________________________

Derby name: Dharma Gedden

Real name:Tertia Speiser

Age: 38

Day job: Energy Researcher

Team: Green Barrettes

How did you become a Roller Doll? Heard about something involving skating and a full-contact sport.

What was your worst injury during a bout/practice? Whiplash from being hit by Boo Boo Radley.

What's your favorite part of the sport? Skating fast, hitting hard, falling down, and getting back up and doing it all over again.
________________________________

Derby name: Mo' Betta Bruiser

Real name: Monique Loushin

Age: 28

Day job: Personal Chef/Mom

Team: Green Barrettes

How did you become a Roller Doll? I answered an ad on craigslist looking for interested skaters, totally fell for it.

What was your worst injury during a bout/practice? I hurt my knee, during my first bout, I was out of commission for two months

What's your favorite part of the sport? The intensity, the way you have to be all over the place at once and the way many different women can succeed in it.


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