Welcome Back Home, Wreck N’ Shrew

Posted on March 21, 2009

By Holly Hitsville

Wreck N’ Shrew is a former member of The Detroit Derby Girls (DDG) but currently plays for The Windy City Rollers (WCR) All-Stars as well as WCR’s Manic Attackers.  On March 28, Wreck N’ Shrew returns to her hometown of Detroit, along with the WCR All-Stars to take on DDG’s Travel Team.  I recently chatted with her about her derby experience and how she felt about her impending homecoming. 

 

Describe your skating and/or athletic background before roller derby. 

Being the younger sister and the only girl on my block growing up, I had cuts and bruises before the age of three. My brother played everything, so I did too!  Soccer was my favorite, next was baseball. In the winter hockey was a natural thing to get into, but being a girl it was hard to come by. So figure skating is what girls did. This bored me and I took a speed skating class instead. Soon I was on a hockey team, but I didn’t get played.

How long have you been playing roller derby and when did you start skating for the WCR and WCR All-Stars? 

I feel like I started playing roller derby the night I saw DDG’s first bout, but it was not until months later that I strapped my skates on and set foot on Riverside’s floor.  As the season started I made the decision to move to Chicago, but I was not going to abandon my team, Devil’s Night Dames. For three months I drove from Chicago to Detroit almost every week. In October of 2006, I began helping WCR as a stats gal since tryouts were still months away. Soon after, I was playing for the Manic Attackers. With two WCR seasons under my belt, my determination to get on the travel team made me stronger and more focused on my goals.  In 2008 I became a Windy City Rollers All-Star!

 

What made you want to become involved in roller derby?

Before Fanny Pack was Fanny Pack, she was a frequent visitor over at my place back in Detroit. One day I realized she hadn’t been around, so I asked her what she’d been doing and she replied in a proud voice, “I play roller derby!” I thought, I need to see this. As I said before, I fell in love before the whistle blew that first bout!

How are you feeling about returning to the Masonic Temple, the home of your first derby league, with another team?

I’m ready! I am proud to have been a member of DDG and can’t wait to skate with my girls from Detroit. Although I will be playing against my birth league, I play this sport for my team. We are all sisters, on and off skates, and these sisters like to compete! 

When you hear the name Detroit Derby Girls what comes to mind?

Family! Before derby, I played sports to play sports. DDG was my first time playing a sport for my team, my sisters, and my new family! DDG ROCKS!

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