Our Featured Skater for the month of February is
Dizzy Aster of the Kansas City Roller Warriors!
Name: Dizzy Aster
Team: Victory Vixens
Number: 5
Position: Jammer, Blocker, Pivot
Seasons with KCRW: 1
Where did your roller derby career begin, and how did you discover the sport?
“A few years ago I was having a mini freakout about my upcoming 30th birthday (which yes, seems so silly now), and I was like, “I need to do something really cool RIGHT NOW before I’m TOO OLD!” (See? So silly.)
I don’t remember what exactly made me think of roller derby. I do remember that I was determined to do the coolest thing I could think of, and that thing was roller derby. Shortly after that, I was somewhat serendipitously introduced to two skaters from Topeka. They convinced me to go to practice with them, and just like that, I became a skater for the Capital City Crushers. I was a Crusher for three seasons before transferring to KCRW at the beginning of this season.”
Roller derby changes every life it touches. How has it changed yours?
“I played team sports growing up, all the way up through high school, and then nothing through college and my 20s. I ran a lot and did the occasional rec softball, but nothing like roller derby. I forgot how much I LOVED being on a team. Camaraderie! Common goals! Friendship!
Speaking of friends, you know how they say it’s hard to make new friends as an adult? Not with roller derby! Friends! Friends galore! It’s very likely you’ll find someone that’s just your type of weirdo to be your friend. It’s nice. Also, it’s the most consistent working out I’ve done in my adult life. I can talk myself out of going to the gym, but I hate missing practice!”
Tell us the origin of your derby name.
“Dizzy Aster was gifted to me. I had something entirely different picked out, but didn’t really love it. My friends Jake and Mary were expecting their first baby. Jake wanted to name it Dizzyaster. Mary said no, thank you. Jake said I should use it as my roller derby name. I said I would be honored. The baby’s name is Maya. This is a true story.”
What sets you apart in KCRW?
“Oh man, I don’t know. I do hope people see that I take this very seriously, but also that I am having a seriously good time.”
What makes Dizzy Aster tick? At the end of the day, what keeps you going in this crazy love we call roller derby?
“The “well it’s now or never!” attitude that came with joining roller derby at 30 has stuck with me. We don’t know what tomorrow holds. Might as well do something awesome now! I love roller derby so much, more than anything else I’ve ever done or tried. And I never felt like I was really good at anything before. This is my thing. I found it! I want to be really, really good at it. I want to see how far I can push it while I’m willing and able. That’s why I transferred to KCRW.
Also, I’m very competitive. This is probably a healthier outlet for that than, say, competitive eating. Although I can eat an impressive amount of tacos!”
To see more of Dizzy Aster and all the Kansas City Roller Warriors in action, visit our photo albums on Smugmug, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram.