Skater of the Month - Shiv

NAME: SHIV

NUMBER: 165

How did you get involved with roller derby? I went to a couple of bouts to watch BlackViolet ref. I never thought about getting into roller derby myself until he sent me an email telling me about the taster sessions that were coming up. I walked out after the taster session and went straight home and bought my newbie kit! That was me hooked! Everything feels like its moved super fast since then and I'm still loving it.

Tell us about your derby name and number?

My derby name 'SHIV', isn't the most imaginative as my family and friends have been calling me that my whole life. I thought I'd go for something simple seen as most of my attention is usually focused on staying upright! Same for my number - its my birthday so its easy for me to remember!

What is your skate gear of choice? I skate on SureGrip Boxer skates, with Juice Java wheels, and use Killer 187 knee pads which are excellent cause they save my knees so much! The rest is just a mix of kit I got for newbies.

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

I never really played team sports before derby. I used to go the gym a lot and trained with a body builder but I lost motivation to keep it up. Derby has been a lot of fun and really motivates me to get along to training and keep fit. I'm pretty active so when I'm not at derby training (or working) I'm out climbing, cycling or hillwalking. It can be tough trying to fit it all in but they all compliment one another, especially when it comes to balance and having enough strength in my legs.

What is your position of choice?

I'm so new to everything that I don't really have a position of choice. At the moment I'm just focusing on trying put what I learn in training into practice and not get too confused on track.

Which teams have you skated with?

I was lucky enough to be asked to skate my first game with the Bonnie Colliders in June this year not long after passing my mins.

Do you have a pre/post-bout ritual?

I've only had one pre/post-bout experience so far and pre-bout just involved being super nervous and struggling to eat. Post-bout was watching the Tayzers being awesome then going out for a few after party drinks.

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

I'd love to be able to give a real answer to this but really there's a lot of work going into the basics right now. Hopefully at some point I'll be able to do it with some sort of style!

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

I work in Radiation Protection for the NHS which can be quite demanding. Derby has been great at helping me stay in the moment which I struggle with sometimes. As soon as you've got wheels on your feet and other skaters keep hitting you, you can't afford for your mind to be anywhere else!

Favourite motivational quote?

"It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” Rocky Balboa

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

I wish I could pick everyone! The whole league has been amazing and so supportive, especially as I went from just passing my mins to my first game with the Bonnie Colliders. I wouldn't have been brave enough to go for it without their encouragement. I'd like to nominate Breezy Does It (Gemma) this month who is an amazing skater and has been super supportive and encouraging. Breezy is a great co-captain of the Bonnie Colliders, looks out for everyone on the team, and is an awesome person to train and be on track with!