My Derby Journey

I went to my first derby practice probably 4 or 5 years ago. One of the awesome women on The Northwest Arkansas Roller Girls (NWARD) was a customer of mine at Starbucks and invited me to come. I tried it out. It was okay. I didn't go back. I didn't catch the fever. It wasn't the right time for me.
In January of 2010 I accepted a promotion in my job and moved myself, my hubby, and our cat three hours from home. I had never moved away from home before. When I was younger and still lived at home we moved around a lot, but this was totally different. I had no friends, no family, just my job and my hubby.
After a month I was starting to go crazy. I became really depressed and  gained over 20 pounds. This was really hard for me, before we moved I had lost over 40 pounds. So, to not fit in those cute little jeans that I worked so hard for was devastating. I had to get myself into something.
We were hanging around one night and I decided to watch Whip It. I had seen it before and loved it so I thought I would watch it again. As I sat there watching this awesome movie I thought "I am only a little ways away from Little Rock, they have to have a derby team". Sure enough they did. One of the girls that used to skate with NWARD that I knew through a mutual friend had moved to Little Rock, so I sent her a message and asked her to go with me. She agreed! I was so excited. I was terrified to drive in Little Rock, but I was determined to give Roller Derby another shot. So at the tail end of February  2010 I attended my first derby practice with Central Arkansas Roller Derby (CARD).
Right away I was hooked. I had an outlet! It was hard. I pushed myself every practice. I wasn't the best but damn it I tried. I drove 40 minutes there and 40 minutes back twice a week, sometimes three, but it was worth it. It was so nice to talk to people besides my employees and husband.
After 7 months I was done with our new "home". As much as I loved derby and the girls, I was terribly depressed. I was two months away from my first bout but I couldn't take it anymore. I missed my friends. I missed my family. I missed Northwest Arkansas. So as hard as it was I asked for a demotion and to be sent back home.
I was so happy to be back home! And thank goodness there was a derby team here so I wouldn't have to give up on something that I loved so much. Or so I thought.
I went to a few NWARD practices when I could. For some reason I had a really hard time making my schedule work with their practice schedule.  Why isn't this working?
I didn't skate for several months. I missed my skates. I missed derby. I was getting depressed again.
Then the magic of Craigslist happened. I was bored and browsing around the community page when I stumbled upon an ad "Looking for skaters". I clicked on the link and what is this? A new derby team in Benton County that practices on Tuesday NIGHT!?!? I immediately sent Opportunity Knocks (my now derby wife) an email explaining who I was and what kind of experience I had and let her know I would be at her practice on Tuesday. My first practice with The Benton County Derby Dames (BCDD) was at the end of February 2011, almost exactly one year from the day I started derby.
I immediately loved BCDD, I clicked with them very quickly. I knew I had found my new derby family!
That is my story and I am proud of it. I never gave up. I never will give up. I am gonna play until I can't play anymore. Then I am going to ref until I can't ref anymore. Then I am going to coach until I can't coach anymore. I love my relationship with Derby and we aren't breaking up any time soon.

Derby Love,
Meggs