Our Featured Dead Girl for August is 10acious V!

How did you discover Dead Girl Derby?
“I really wanted to do roller derby and I found DGD online. I attended their championship games to see what it was all about, and I was hooked. I came to recruitment night and the rest is history.”

Explain the origin of your derby name.
“I got my name from Tenacious D and changed it around to make it more ‘girly.’ I thought it was really funny. I was torn between choosing 10acious V or BAMF as my name, so I was pretty excited when I found out I could use BAMF as my number.”

Who inspires you on the track?
“I am so inspired by my team! They never quit and always give everything they have for our team. They are all so amazing and it is an honor to skate with them. Coach Kentner pushes me to be better and makes me believe I can be better. Coach Arp is the most encouraging coach in the world! He always knows what to say to pump you up and makes you believe in yourself. My husband Chad is my biggest fan and his belief in me pushes me to become the best skater I can be.”

How has roller derby changed your life?
“Roller derby has been amazing for me! It has made me embrace my inner athlete and become a healthier person. Roller derby makes my soul happy and no matter what happens in my day, I know that I can go to practice and skate it out. I also cherish the new friendships that I have found in my derby family.”

What is it about roller derby that brings out the best in 10acious V?
“Playing derby has made me more tenacious than ever. I have learned that no matter how tired you are there is always something more you can give. I love the adrenaline rush of playing and the mental challenges of the game. It makes me feel alive!”

To see more of 10acious V and all the Dead Girls in action, visit our photo albums on Smugmug, like us on Facebook, and check out our newly-launched Pinterest and Instagram pages.

Our Featured Dead Girl for July is Zombina!

How did you discover Dead Girl Derby?
“I had always thought roller derby was an interesting sport, but only had ever seen old videos (those 1960s bombshells going crazy on the banked track). I had yet to experience modernized derby in all its glory. Around the time I was pregnant with my youngest son, my really good friend of almost nine years, 10aciousV, started playing with DGD. The way she talked about the league and what skating did for her made me even more interested. She talked about all the benefits: exercise, girl time, bonding, and her transformation into an ultra-BAMF. So one weekend I took the whole family up to River Roll to watch 10acious skate. Watching her skate her heart out and seeing all the passion in the girls that were skating made me realize that this was something I had to do as soon as I could after my pregnancy. So, six weeks after my son was born, I was at recruitment night, nervous as hell! And even though I couldn’t skate to save my life and fell down constantly, I was in love!”

Explain the origin of your derby name.
“Anyone who has known me for quite some time understands I have a ‘slight’ obsession with horror films, specifically zombie movies. In college I redesigned “The Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks as a pocket guide for on-the-go survival, my house is decked out in tons of Zombie stuff from zombie gnomes outside in our garden to zombie artwork on the walls, I take my children with me to participate in zombie walks, and I have seen almost every zombie film I can get my hands on. After much debate (picking a derby name ranks up there in difficulty with naming your children!) it seemed only natural to have my name tie to the undead flesh eaters and I already had an online handle as z0mbina, so I just went with that!”

Who inspires you on the track?
“Wow…this is super tough… Dead Girl Derby has so many talented and fearless people involved with it… it’s so hard to pick. First off: the not-so-fresh-meat this year have been incredibly inspiring! They are not afraid to push themselves to the limit and keep going, even though their legs are like jello or they may be nervous about a new drill. All of those girls have come so far from when they started. I am so proud of them! Of course, all my Sheilas have been incredibly inspiring for me as well! They will never let me give up when I’m frustrated, are always pushing me to do better than my best, and are so encouraging! Individual skaters outside my team that inspire me are: Red Ripper, 10aciousV, Striking Dervish, Ginger Ninja, Jam-Pa, Leroy Jenkins, and [Suicide] Snowcone.”

How has roller derby changed your life?
“There were plenty of times last season that I was about to give up. I was frustrated that I wasn’t progressing as fast as I wanted to, I was nervous on my skates, I wasn’t fast, etc etc etc… but the best part was that even though I had begun to give up on myself, others in the league wouldn’t let me. The encouragement I have seen from skaters and coaches is just incredibly heartwarming. I have met some really wonderful people because of this sport, and that’s ultra-difficult for me since I have a really hard time opening up and making new friends. I also feel like I am probably in the best shape since high school and more physically strong than I have ever been. Roller derby also have given me a new-found sense of empowerment!”

What is it about roller derby that brings out the best in Zombina?
“I love being able to help the newer skaters. I remember that feeling of downing on the track, not knowing what to do. I don’t want our new skaters feeling like that, so I always make myself available for questions or offering up tweaks to their technique. I think I am at my best when I can contribute to my league mates accomplishments. It’s great to watch a skater fulfill their derby aspirations!”

To see more of Zombina and all the Dead Girls in action, visit our photo albums on Smugmug, like us on Facebook, and check out our newly-launched Pinterest and Instagram pages.