Our Featured Skater for the month of September is Apocalypstick
of the Kansas City Junior Roller Warriors!
Name: Apocalypstick
Teams: Rolling Thunder, Sonic Boom, Starry Fright, The Bad Reputations, The Red Mild Chili Peppers, The Blackouts
Number: 99
Position: Jammer, blocker, pivot
Seasons with BRG: 6
Roller derby isn’t just a sport, it’s often full of important life lessons. What has this incredible sport taught you so far?
“It’s taught me how important building others up and teamwork is. You can’t have the mindset that you are greater or lesser than anyone. As my coaches say, ‘You’re only as strong as your weakest player.’ I think that’s very true because if you want to better yourself, you first have to better your teammates. It’s not an individual sport, you have to rely so much on others. Because when you’re in that wall, you can’t do it all yourself, you have to make sure that everyone is strong. And rise or fall, you’re on a team and you do it together.”
The Juniors are coached and mentored by some of the most talented players in Kansas City. Who are some of your role models on the track, and how have they inspired you?
“Sneaky Pete, Mary Lou Wretched, Sk8l Attraction, Enigma, Madam McBomb, Bruz Her, Track Rat, and many more.
The majority of them, I have idolized since I was 10. I knew I wanted to be just like them. So when I joined the Juniors the same year and some of them became my coaches, it was a dream come true. As I have grown up and watched all of these amazing women skate, I still want to be just like them.
I have never been a confident person, but I have always liked learning and challenging myself; they have made me love it. They push me to be a better skater, to give 100% until the very end, and help me to stay out of my head. They’ve shown me through hard work and stepping out of my comfort zone that I should be more confident in my abilities. Because I’m much stronger than I believe. I want to work harder to be better than I was the day before, for myself and them.”
Any injuries so far?
“Thankfully nothing too serious, but I fall like a sack of potatoes. So I’ve gotten some pretty gnarly bruises.”
Favorite derby memory so far?
“Last summer when Coach Ice came to Juniors practice and taught us all these amazing drills. I started struggling with one of the drills and getting in my head, and he came over to me and took me by the shoulder and said, ‘I see so much potential in you, you can do great things. But you first have to see the potential in yourself.’ That changed my life.”
2017 will be your last season with the Juniors. Any plans to join KCRW?
“YESSS!!! I cannot wait until the day I find out what team I’ll be on and which of my idols will become teammates and which will be my rivals.”
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To see more of Apocalypstick and all of the Kansas City Junior Roller Warriors in action, visit our photo albums on Smugmug, like us on Facebook, and check out our newly-launched Instagram page.