Skater of the Month - Low Blow Baggins

NAME: LowBlow Baggins

NUMBER: 0

How did you get into roller derby?

I kept seeing loads of roller derby pictures posted on Facebook and had wanted to join for a long time but couldn't find anyone to go with me. Eventually I finally got the confidence to go along to Fresh Meat on my own and have never looked back.

Tell us about your derby name and number?

I'm a big Lord of the Rings fan and I'm also unbelievably short. If I had giant feet I'd pretty much be a hobbit. I like to think that my number looks like the Ring... and it's easy for referees to shout.

Before you discovered roller derby were you involved in any other sports/exercise, and if yes how has derby impacted on this?

Before roller derby I occasionally went to the gym and did a bit of running. Derby has definitely changed the way I look at exercise. Beforehand, exercise was about losing weight but now it's about being strong. My gym routine has totally changed because of this.

What is your position of choice?

I give jamming a go every now and then at scrims but I much prefer being a blocker.

Do you have a pre/post-bout ritual?

I unfortunately broke my ankle right before my first bout so haven't had the pleasure of bouting yet. Since then I've been lucky enough to be Bench Manager for the Dundee Roller Girls and Line Up Manager for our amazing home team Jutes of Hazzard. Pre-bout I've just tried to make myself available for any skaters who need a chat. I'm looking forward to hopefully bouting very soon!

Why would you recommend roller derby to other people?

Roller derby is a great sport because it welcomes everybody. You don't need to be super athletic to join, just willing to learn. Everyone is incredibly supportive and you make some amazing friends.

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

I would like to nominate someone who has been working extremely hard in training, is always fun to be with on track, and played amazingly well for the Press Gangsters in DRG’s first ever Home Teams game: Penny Slain!