Our featured Dead Girl for the month of August is Striking Dervish!

Name: Striking Dervish
Team: The Deadly Sirens
Number: 93
Position(s): All
Seasons with Dead Girl Derby: 3

How she discovered Dead Girl Derby:
“I had already developed a love of roller derby watching the Kansas City Roller Warriors. When the movie Whip It came out, the web site had a map of derby leagues, and Dead Girl Derby was listed as being just a few miles from me. I attended the very first game and most of the games that year. Between seasons, I went to see a roller derby documentary with Dead Girls in attendance and met Anya Neezenbeg, who encouraged me to come to recruitment.”

Origin of her derby name:
“In the karate system I study, it’s the name of the third self defense move from my ninth belt (hence the number also).”

Past injuries:
“I broke my pinkie finger clean through against the wall at River Roll last year. My favorite bruise was a jaunty goatee from taking a wheel to the chin.”

Favorite skater:
“Pippi Strongblocking has always been the skater who challenges me most on the track. I will also always strive to be as amazing a skater as Kelley Young, who retired from the Kansas City Roller Warriors All Stars.”

Proudest derby moment:
“Nothing makes me prouder than being a part of training and seeing skaters develop and grow. Time and time again, skaters come in, put in time and effort, and do amazing things on wheels. I am especially proud of watching my Siren sisters try something new or push themselves to the next level.”

What sets her apart in Dead Girl Derby:
“My favorite position in roller derby is the one I’m playing right that moment, including on the bench cheering on my teammates.”

Our featured Dead Girl for the month of July is Rebel Yelle!

Name: Rebel Yelle
Team: The Shotgun Sheilas
Number: 666
Position(s): Blocker
Seasons with Dead Girl Derby: 3

How she discovered Dead Girl Derby:
“My cousin Charlotte was a part of the league and skated as Konni Kazi. I had asked her about joining Dead Girl Derby when it was still in its first season, but I was too scared. Then the next year I came home from working a season in Yellowstone and realized I had nothing to do, and I was super depressed and just needed a change in my life. Six days later, I went to the recruitment night at River Roll. I almost left, but my brother (who worked there at the time) wouldn’t let me. The next day I went to practice and was so awful, I couldn’t move away from the wall.”

Origin of her derby name:
“Rebel is already my legal name, and I was tired of people pestering me to use it, so I changed it to something that made sense. So I went from Elle Maldito to Rebel Yelle. Also, I love the song by Billy Idol. ”

Past injuries:
“I have been lucky in that I have never really had anything major happen to me. However, after the championship game, when the Sheilas were still known as the Fearleaders, I collided with another skater and fell and hyperextended my knee. It still pops out of place every now and then.”

Favorite skater:
“I think one of my favorite skaters has to be Wine N. Moen. She showed so much improvement her first season, and still continues to improve. I have never seen her get upset during a game, and she just leaves all the drama on the track.”

Proudest derby moment:
“My proudest derby moment was during the coed bout in May this season, and I broke out as lead jammer over Crimson Cobra. I called it just after I scored one point. But that point took us from a tie to being in the lead! I know for some, scoring points is an everyday thing, but to me, it was everything I had been working towards.”

What sets her apart in Dead Girl Derby:
“What sets me apart in this league is my determination to improve. I have never wanted something so much in my life. And I came from basically having nothing, skill-wise, to being where I am now. I never played sports growing up and I hated skating when I was younger. When I started derby, I weighed over 310 lbs, and I had practically no self-esteem. But now… I have lost almost 100 lbs and I can’t believe the confidence I have gained. I needed a complete lifestyle change, and I knew from the first moment I put on skates that derby was what was going to allow me to make that change.”

Our featured Dead Girl for the month of June is Anya Neezenbeg!

Name: Anya Neezenbeg
Team: The Lovely Lethals
Number: 68+1
Position(s): Blocker
Seasons with Dead Girl Derby: 4

How she discovered Dead Girl Derby:
“I had tried out for KCRW in 2008 and tore my MCL skiing in Washington and was going to try out again, but didn’t because a friend of mine, Sarah (aka Punky Brewsher), had heard about Dead Girl Derby starting up. So we went to a practice and I was immediately hooked. There were only five girls at that time.”

Origin of her derby name:
“I was originally given Krimson Vixen my first season by a friend because I had bright red hair, but the name was denied on Two Evils and a girl in DGD had Anya Neezenbeg and it got approved by Two Evils. She got hurt after three practices and never came back… so I took it. :) It suited me better.”

Past injuries:
“So many: tailbone was cracked my first season and third practice; torn ligaments in my groin; dislocated my shoulder several times; cracked ribs and tons of bruises. I’m accident prone.”

Favorite skater:
“Jamalamadingdong will always be my number one. Her determination and skill has always amazed me. Plus the [person] she is on and off the track is extremely admirable.”

Proudest derby moment:
“I don’t know that I have one. The Championship win in 2011 will always be a good one, obviousl,y but every time I learn something in derby and successfully pull it off is always my personal favorite moment. You learn so much about yourself in this sport and it’s made me a better person, and I love that!
My entire derby career is full of glorious memories with this league.”

What sets her apart in Dead Girl Derby:
“Absolutely nothing. I am just another girl in this league trying to better myself.”

Our featured Dead Girl for the month of April is Dixie Danger!

Name: Dixie Danger
Team: The Royal Pains
Number: 10
Position(s): Blocker, Jammer
Seasons with Dead Girl Derby: 4

How she discovered Dead Girl Derby:
“I had heard about roller derby and done some Googling to see if there were any leagues in KC. I emailed a couple and hadn’t heard back when Colin Mayhem posted on Facebook that he was going to be the announcer for DGD. I told him that I had to go and he should talk to whomever necessary to make sure I could come.”

Origin of her derby name:
“Believe it or not, my day job is not bedazzling. I work for a marketing company doing publicity and promotions for movies. When our office was working on Whip It, my coworker told me that my name, if I ever were to be a derby girl, should be Dixie Danger. I laughed and said sure thing. A few months later, while skating around the rink for the first time, someone asked me my name; I didn’t hesitate when I answered.”

Past injuries:
“Knock on wood, nothing. My knees creak, but after all the falling I did my first season, that’s expected.”

Favorite skater:
“I don’t think I could ever answer this. Seeing so many people come in without the ability to skate and then watch them jam or knock me down, it’s incredible. I am lucky to skate with such amazing people and to learn from them. The talent in the KC community alone is mind-blowing. And then you add in everyone from other leagues across the county — forget it. There are too many extraordinary skaters!”

Proudest derby moment:
“Skating against my sister, Crash AnniliateHer, last night. It was difficult not to start cheering every time she laid a hit (since she is on the Lovely Lethals). And when I took off as jammer, I looked over my shoulder because I knew she would be right on me, chasing me down. She used to go skating at B&D every Friday when we were younger and I was always so jealous, because I never got to go. Now it’s fun to be the one teaching her things and then watch her lay a hit or take off as jammer.”

What sets her apart in Dead Girl Derby:
“It used to be my bedazzled panties that I made for every game. I say a lot of inappropriate things at very inopportune times. Sometimes I just don’t know when to be quiet But it’s usually funny.”