By Laura McCarthy.
Like many people, I found coping with the stresses of the COVID-19 epidemic led me to pick up a new hobby. I was part-way through my teacher training when lockdown started and, later, when the summer arrived, I was faced with endless empty weeks. No chance of going away. Few opportunities to see other people, especially as I only had a couple of friends in Southampton at the time; I was raised in Yorkshire, spent my time at university in Reading, and most people I knew had since moved to London. Luckily, I had my partner for company, but they still had work over the holidays. Six weeks is a long time to be left with your thoughts. So I bought a pair of roller skates.
In those first few weeks, I taught myself this new skill, going from Bambi to… well, Charlie Brown stumbling on skates. Over the course of a month, my confidence was growing and soon I was teaching myself how to do such moves as the moonwalk, the grapevine, and shooting the duck. This even continued into autumn. Neither rain nor cold could put me off. I stuck with it through my teacher training and, before I knew it, I’d been skating a full year.
Dancing on the skates just wasn’t enough and so, on August 16th 2021, I went to a skatepark for the first time. I have a distinct memory of being the only person on roller skates and in full protective gear at Winchester skatepark that day. It wasn’t awful for a first attempt. I had, at least, managed to roll up and down some slight slopes but I felt a little awkward and in the way so called it a day shortly after. Later that month, I managed to go down a slope from the top. It wasn’t what we could call a drop in but I was ridiculously proud of myself all the same. Although work got hectic in September, I was back to the parks through autumn and winter, even going on some wet days (which I don’t recommend, by the way, for either you or your skates!). To this day, I still love skateparks and I am continually learning something new. I can even do a proper drop in over coping now.
During the same time I had taken up park skating, I had also seen an advert from Portsmouth Roller Wenches for their new skater intake. I knew I had to go. I had wanted to try roller derby for a long time. Roller derby is a contact sport, where jammers score points by skating past the blockers on the opposing team. As a teenager, I had watched the film Whip It (2009) and, like the protagonist Bliss, was entranced; in the film, the sport just oozed cool and seemed like the perfect home for misfits like me. I also loved the fact that they all had fun derby names. In the film, they have names like Smashley Simpson and Bloody Holly. On the whole, roller derby is also a very welcoming sport. It is open to women, POC, people with disabilities, and to LGBT+ folk.
The session I went to at Portsmouth felt rather intense and competitive but it wasn’t quite like the film I watched. Turns out you’re not allowed to punch people in the face like in the movie. Still, I definitely enjoyed it. I wanted to go again. Since I couldn’t drive and being a teacher was immeasurably time consuming though, I just couldn’t make it to Portsmouth as a regular habit. So long to all my roller derby dreams…
Or so I thought. Fast forward to December, and I had seen Southampton City Rollers post about a new skater intake. Brilliant! Close to home and starting in January: the perfect new years’ resolution. It was the best decision I ever made. The atmosphere was different from my previous experience with the Wenches but not in a bad way. Even on that first day, I felt so much love and encouragement. Everyone was so kind and really, genuinely wanted you to do well, to learn, to achieve. From day one.
That’s never stopped. If it weren’t for roller derby, I wouldn’t have the support base that I have now. I went from being a pretty lonely person in Southampton, not making lasting connections with those I had met, to someone who is constantly surrounded by friends. Friends that pushed me to be better, consoled me when I was down, and always, always made me laugh. They made me confident and fearless.
I completed my rookie training and became part of main league which gave me the opportunity to compete in scrims and games. There’s nothing quite like competing in a match. It can be absolutely terrifying and anxiety inducing. But it is also full of excitement, vibrancy, and fun. Every time I play, I feel myself level up. My blocking is better. My tactics improve. My footwork is cleaner. I feel so blessed that others notice that too. Teammates and opposition alike will give encouragement, praise, a kind word. Sometimes, you even get certificates. My MVP certificate from our Dragon Brawl tournament against The Concrete Cows will forever have a special place on the fireplace ledge in my living room.
Some pretty unexpected things have come out of roller derby too. For the ten year anniversary of our team, my teammates Pixxiepanic and Bionic Batty were eager to form a derby band and perform at the event. Soon, they’d managed to drag Smack Widow into their madness. They just needed a singer and a drummer. One ill-timed comment later about how my partner plays drums and how I sang at the BBC proms as a child, and I had also somehow managed to get myself involved. Despite being horrendously full of flu on the day, a commitment is a commitment, and I performed live in what felt like a pretty legitimate rock band. Something I’d secretly always wanted to do. Even with the plague, it was rather good fun.
So there you have it. That’s my story. That’s how I became Lady Macdeath. Best part is, it could be yours too. If you are interested in joining, Southampton City Rollers will be open to new members in our new skater intake. No experience is necessary – we can teach you to skate! You can contact southamptoncityrollers@gmail.com to express your interest and to find out further details.
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