File: Oct21FeatureBadriJulianneHannahmp4
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[Crowd noise...whistle blows]

Just as the competition season ends,

training for the Greater Toronto area

roller girls begins.

In 2007, the GTA Roller Girls became

Toronto's first

not-for-profit flat track roller derby

league.

Creator Cynthia Brooks formed the league

in hopes of finding a fun

community building physical activity. "I

wanted to do

a good exercise but I don't love gyms

too much. I find the machines kind of

attack me. I never know how to work them

so

I thought let's just start this.

Experience is not necessary to join the

league.

Skaters of all skill levels are welcome

from experts, to freshie beginners.

"We actually have just started our

freshies training program it's about an

eight to ten week program.

We have two usually freshly intake days

where you come in.

We give you skates, you sign a waiver of

course, uh, we give you some skates and

gear, and you try it out. So we teach you

how to fall, how to skate,

and then you learn to love it like we

all do. Under the coaching of Kirk

Narayan Singh.

The Roller Girls have competed against

teams across Canada

and the United States. The league is

divided into two teams -

the G-stars and the Derby Debutants.

Last December the Roller girls became an

official member of the Women's Flat

Track Derby Association.

B;ocker Nikki Trombley believes that this

change will motivate

both teams. "All of our games are a lot

more

serious and competitive which is really

exciting for us.

So here's how it works - the game of

roller derby is played between two teams

of five for two half-hour periods.

Each period is divided into segments of

two minutes called

jams. On each team there are three

blockers,

one pivot and one jammer. The blockers in

the pivot

form a pack and try to prevent the rival

team's jammer from passing them

while helping their own jammer break

through the other team.

Any body part above the mid thigh can be

used to block

except forearms elbows hands and the

head.

A point is scored each time a jammer

surpasses the opposing team's pack.

The team with the most points at the end

of the hour wins.

But to these women roller derby is far

more than just another sport.

Reasons for joining the league vary

amongst the group of women.

For Avatori it was self-exploration.

"At the time I had actually just broken

up from a relationship

and was feeling kind of funny about

myself and

not really knowing what I was doing. A

The co-worker actually

skates in a league in Barrie and she had

suggested that I come out to their fresh

intake that we do here every year.

And I put skates on and I fell in love

with it and I've never looked back.

For sure. Meanwhile for Maria Catricella

it was an outlet to let go of inner

aggression.

"I like that I can hit people that was

what drew me in because watching the

sport on TV

was just people, just all out like

hitting each other all over the place

and that's what I wanted to do because

there aren't really any other

sports that you can do that in. Since

joining the league

Tori describes it as a second home. "It

becomes a place where

you come to to let the rest of the world

kind of melt away and

you become a person that you maybe don't

necessarily feel like you can be in your

everyday life."

As soon as they step onto the roller

rink, the roller girls take on new

personas such as

Tiny Tank, Cherry Blossom, Disgrace Jones,

and so on.

Brooke's husband coach Narayan Singh

created her alter ego, Splat Vinotar.

"Because he knows I'm kind of klutzy he

actually said that um

maybe I shouldn't do derby because I was

klutzy so that made me more determined

and that's why

I do this." Blocker,  Sarah Bratmobile

Seneschal

based her name on her favorite superhero.

"In derby we're kind of a big fan of puns

uh, so I sort of went with that for

bratmobile.

I mean who doesn't love batman so I

just counted the brat in there.

Although the league is funded entirely

by its members.

The GTA Roller girls also give back to

the community.

Past initiatives include work for Plan

Canada and food banks in Toronto.

I think that's one thing I love about

this particular league is that there's a

lot of outreach. As far as doing

fundraising for other

charitable organizations besides

ourselves and I think that's really

important.

Tremblay also says that the role of

girls hope to serve as role models to

both women

and children. "I think kids, especially

Canadian kids grow up seeing that

daddy's play hockey and that's

okay and people don't question that but

as soon as they say well you're bringing

your kids to watch you play derby it's

like what's the difference if daddy's

playing hockey?

Why can't mommy do something that's also

very strong

and uh and I think it's a it's a

wonderful thing that I'm showing my kids.

As for the future of the league, the GTA

Roller girls are determined to make

their mark.

"We're just trying to see if we can get

up in our ranking and

play games and that's about it. We try to

hopefully, maybe one day

like to have our own building. That's the

future.

We are not going to give up and we're

going to fight and you're going to

be put through hell when you face us

and, so I hope that one day we're

a name that people here really respect.

For sure. When it comes to the derby the

GTA  Roller Girls show

no signs of slowing down. For Toronto

Today, I'm Julianne San Antonio.