A few years ago, I decided to try something new.  Little did I know that it would quickly encompass my life and become the healthiest, most challenging, and fulfilling thing I do.  By day, I work as a pastry chef, mixing giant batches of cookies and baking hundreds of brownies.  By night, I train with Montreal Roller Derby, sweating and skating my way towards new goals.  Derby has become so infused in my daily life that I unknowingly spend hours shaping bread dough in my skating stance and doing plyometrics on the stairs at work. Could I have predicted that this sport would have such an impact on me?  Not at all.  Being a part of the most successful league in Canada has driven me to achieve new heights in all aspects of my life and I couldn’t be more proud.  I have gone from barely being able to stand on my skates to playing at the WFTDA Eastern Regional playoffs with the New Skids on the Block.  Simultaneously, I have watched my league develop from a group of fishnet clad girls skating around hitting each other to a group of athletes training full-time to play an emerging strategic sport.

As a league, MTLRD works together to help every member to achieve her highest potential as a skater and as an athlete.  Whether you play for a home team or you are representing Team Canada at the World Cup, each and every skater in our league works to be the best player she can be.  We work together to run every single aspect of the league: from training to raising money to running our bouts.  Our skaters, refs, coaches, announcers, and officials come together to make this all happen.  We work year round to organize our spring/summer season and it’s this aspect of our grassroots organization that makes me excited to be a part of this sport and this league in particular.

I am forever changed by roller derby and, specifically, MTLRD.

Chasing Amy,
president of Montreal Roller Derby league