Skater of the Month - Edna Ken
NAME: Edna Ken
NUMBER: 57
How did you get involved with roller derby?
A couple of years back, I decided that I needed a new hobby. I came up with idea of trying to find a new hobby for every letter of the alphabet! Before you ask, no I didn’t complete the challenge but I did try some weird and wonderful things, the strangest being underwater hockey! So anyway, I thought I’d give roller derby a go (after seeing it on Whip it of course) and I absolutely loved it! Unfortunately, I didn’t complete my mins the first time round, as I decided to go traveling but I always knew I would come back, so here I am 2 years later, finally mins passed!
Tell us about your derby name and number
My derby name is a wee Dundonian pun (you may have to say it out loud a few times), which I think may have derived from a knock-knock joke, I heard years ago! I think that it pretty accurately sums up how I feel when I’m on track.
I would love to be able to tell a nice, heartwarming story about how I got my number but I’m afraid I don’t have one, I’m afraid it’s just a random number.
What is your skate gear of choice?
Oh dear, is it bad that I’ve had to go and check? Most of my kit came in the form of a “newbie starter pack” so I have Riedell R3’s, and my helmet, elbow pads and wrist guards are Protec. I have upgraded my knee pads to 187 Pro Derby and they are awesome!
Before you discovered roller derby were you involved in any other sports/exercise, and if yes how has derby impacted on this?
I’ve never been serious about any other sports before but I’ll try anything once! At the moment I’m really enjoying swimming, it’s a nice contrast to the madness of roller derby!
What is your position of choice?
I haven’t had much experience yet, having only been to one scrim, so at the minute, I’ve just been having a go at everything and trying to not get too confused!
Which teams have you skated with?
So far, I have only skated in one learning scrim, although I am very excited to be playing in the home team tournament next month.
How would you describe your derby playing style, do you have a signature move?
My signature move at the minute seems to be falling into people by accident and pretending that I meant it.
What is your day job? How has your involvement in roller derby affected the way you live the rest of your life?
I like to change my job as much as I like to try new hobbies but at the minute I work as a product demonstrator, selling lint rollers in supermarkets.
Roller Derby has given me a massive confidence boost, it has also improved my fitness and made me a little bit more sociable. On the other side of things, I now find it very difficult to control the sudden urge to hip check people in non-Derby situations. I also find myself getting very jealous of the kids, with the wheely trainers who often whizz past me at work!
Favourite motivational quote?
“Don’t let the muggles get you down!” – Ron Weasley
Who do you choose as next month’s Skater of the Month?
Ahh the dreaded Question! I wish I could go all Mean Girls and share it out to everyone. The whole league has been amazing; everyone is so encouraging and always on hand to offer help and support! However, I must pick someone, so the person I have chosen this month is Morag AKA Alba Damned. Not only is she an amazing skater but she is also incredibly supportive and encouraging. She has given me a lot of advice and support, which has really helped me improve my skating ability!
