Skater of the Month - Rae'n of Terror

NAME: Rae'n of Terror

NUMBER: 26

How did you get involved with roller derby?

Like quite a few other people, I watched Whip It, specifically the last half of Whip It while it was on TV one day, and I absolutely fell in love with the sport behind it. Within a week I knew a good chunk of the rules, had favourite teams and players and generally wouldn't shut up about it. Unfortunately this was around April 2014 and by the time I'd even thought to find out whether there was a league in Scotland and found the Dundee Roller Girls, the new intake were four weeks in, so I hyped myself up for a year and finally got my chance to join last March.

Tell us about your derby name and number?

For my number, we were asked to wear numbers at a training session one day and I just chose the easiest one, which of course is my birthday.

The name dilemma occurred when we got to the last two weeks of newbie intake and I was starting to take part in scrims and had no ideas, and nothing sounded good with Rachel at all. Back home a lot of people just called me Rae so I started asking for suggestions from everyone there and my dad actually came up with Rae'n of Terror, so before anyone says "nice name, did your mum pick it out for you?" no, my dad is actually the mastermind behind it.

What is your skate gear of choice?

From the top down I have a Dare sports helmet, Anarchy elbow pads, SFR wrist guards and my stunning Hypno Elite Rasta Smiths Scabs. My skates are newbie gear of choice, Ridell R3s, with Caymen wheels on the outsides and Radar Villains as pushers with strong intentions to replace the last four Caymens within a few months and Bionic toe stops.

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

I swam consistently from the age of about 6 to 19. Swimming is very much an arm sport and switching to skating has been a big surprise for my legs. I've been swimming again more recently and the decline in my arm strength and my endurance in the water has been huge, but I'm happy that swimming kept me physically fit enough that starting derby wasn't too much of a shock.

I also used to participate in renaissance martial arts in college and uni, which was mostly composed of sword fighting using weighted nylon swords. I think this helped me to understand that, as long as a hit is legal and during a game, the people you're hitting are prepared to take it, and will often be very encouraging if you do. This has transferred over into roller derby very nicely.

What is your position of choice?

As a blocker I prefer bracing a wall. I feel a lot more stable facing backward and being able to see where someone is trying to come through. I'm trying to gain more confidence so that when I pivot, I have a more active role and can be more decisive in what I want a wall to do.

I absolutely adore jamming. I get so nervous at the jam starts but after that I like to think I just get my head down and go for it as best I can. I tend to have the best kind of jamnesia where I only remember my best jams and forget all the rest.

Which teams have you skated with?

I skate with the lovely Bonnie Colliders who I adore. I was in newbie intake with a lot of them and everyone has come on in leaps and bounds. I am so excited to see what we can do this year because it's going to be amazing!

I've also skated with the Jutes of Hazzard and guested for the Jammin Dodgers in last years Home Teams which was an amazing experience because of the mix of skaters from the Tayzers, Colliders and others from outside, including guests from other teams. To have someone on track with you who knows exactly what they want to do and where they want to be was a brilliant learning experience.

Do you have a pre/post-bout ritual?

Pre-bout I eat the biggest breakfast I can manage, (I highly recommend peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwiches) then go out to pick up some Tangfastics for on the bench and then head to the venue to get nervous with everyone else.

Post-bout mainly consists of getting ready for the after party!

How would you describe your derby playing style, do you have a signature move?

I tend to stay pretty solid when people hit me and people have told me I'm pretty sneaky in that when I get hit my body moves but my feet stay in bounds so I can dash ahead when they think they've put me out. I also run a lot on my toe stops and probably rely on them a lot more than I should considering they always fall off.

What is your day job? How has your involvement in roller derby affected the way you live the rest of your life?

I started my new job on the 5th of January this year. I am now a manufacturing scientist with Axis-Shield and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Roller derby has affected this in particular because I finished college last year and it was starting to look like I was going to have no choice but to go back to Shetland because I hadn't found a job or a flat and we were in the last 2 weeks of our tenancy at the end of August. My first bout with the Colliders was on the 9th of September and that, in the end was what gave me the drive and motivation to stop ignoring the problems I was having and go out and get a job and a flat, so roller derby is really the reason I'm still in Dundee, doing this job now that I absolutely adore and not in Shetland living with my parents.

Favourite motivational quote?

"Yesterday you said tomorrow, so JUST DO IT!" and "If your tired of starting over then stop giving up." - Shia LaBeouf

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

For next month, I'd like to introduce you to an amazing skater who has kept me right on track and off, maker of amazing faces and my favourite dance pal, Khilleesi!