Skater of the Month - Mandatory Mayhem

NAME: Mandatory Mayhem

NUMBER: 7926

What has been your most enjoyable experience of Roller Derby?

Being selected as part of the team for the Battle of Britain tournament and our bout against Fierce Valley was amazing, skating out as part of Dundee Roller Girls for the first time was an incredible experience and really made me feel I had accomplished something. The day we passed our mins and were invited to join the advanced training is also definitely up there, it was absolutely terrifying to watch them and think we were meant to do the same but it did make you feel like you had come so far already.

Why would you recommend roller derby to others?

Roller derby is a sport that you get so much out of, you meet amazing people who are so friendly and welcoming, it brings together so many people with such different personalities and allows you to make great friends that you probably would have never met otherwise. It also shows you that you can accomplish things you didn’t think you could at first, and through this gives you motivation to improve and keep working at things outside skating – for me that is university. Plus it’s great exercise.

How did you get into roller derby?

Even though I’ve always loved skating I only found out about roller derby (like a lot of people) by watching the film Whip It. I never really thought there would be teams around me so didn’t give it much more thought until a family friend told me about Dundee Roller Girls, and that they were holding a Fresh Meat session that very evening. I couldn’t pass up the chance to try it out and have been hooked ever since.

Do your friends and family understand your passion for derby?

People always seem surprised and very confused when I tell them I play roller derby however after a lot of explaining (mainly that no, it does not involve a ball) the majority are eager to watch a bout and see how it all works. All my family are really supportive; they know I love skating and am not averse to contact sports so they understand it is a perfect fit for me, and are always just as excited about bouts as I am and are always there to support me and DRG.

Who do you choose as next month’s Skater of the Month?

For next month I choose one of the most supportive people I know, the incredibly talented Nicola Cole.