With enough enthusiasm for derby to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool, and enough metal in her legs to be classified as the Bionic Woman, Badger is, simply put, an enigma.
Name: Badger Badger
Number: Ti22
Team: Dirty Harriets officially, but consider all of OCRD to be my team
Member of OCRD since: June 2014
Give us a quick ‘n dirty rundown of who you are.
I’m quick…and I’m dirty.
Is there a story behind your name/number?
Genus: Badger
Species: badger
Subspecies: bionicus (represented by the #Ti22)
Finding a derby name was a bit of a challenge for me. I broke my right leg on my fourth practice of fresh meat and was stuck on the couch all summer brainstorming derby names; my first choice was a name I could never say to my grandmother and the others just didn’t quite feel right. I always kept coming back to the badger as I have always felt it was my power animal. I admire their determination, confidence, and tenacity. They are also extremely protective of their territory, and although they tend to mind their own business, they have no problem going toe-to-toe with a grizzly bear if they are feeling threatened.
I finally chose the name Badger Badger from a catchy internet cartoon of repeating images of badgers doing calesthenics in a field, an Amanita muscaria mushroom in front of a tree, and a snake in the desert (editor’s note: http://youtu.be/EIyixC9NsLI). Given that I have written two educational guides on fungi (mushrooms), and couple of seasons studying rattlesnakes, it seemed like the perfect fit. The bionic portion of my name was added after breaking my left leg longboarding and now having both my tibias made of titanium.
How, when, and why did you get started in roller derby?
I started my fresh meat program May 1, 2013. I spent much of my childhood skating on a dugout southern Saskatchewan with a spattering of hockey and ringette experience. I also played a few years of rugby in my late teens, but I was never really very good at sports–generally because I had a hard time adhering to the rules. Later in life I bought a pair of rollerblades and fell in love with skating in a new way. I joined roller derby because I wanted to experience what it was like to be a part of a team.
Why did you pick OCRD for your league?
I originally started skating with another women’s only league, but I transferred after my first year to OCRD because it was officially becoming a co-ed league. Skating with men gave me the challenge and intensity I sought in sport which I was not able to get by just skating with women. Shortly after transferring I came to understand that OCRD isn’t just a roller derby league– it is a roller derby family, made up of very strong and supportive individuals who work very hard to meet their personal and collective goals, while not taking themselves too seriously. There are many couples skating in our league and I can’t think of a better way to enhance a relationship than joining an extreme sport together. Whether male or female or somewhere in between, when we step onto the track at OCRD, we are all equals.
What position do you like to play the most and why?
I love jamming. I am not naturally a strong team player and really like to do my own thing, and jamming gives me that freedom. There are so many small success moments in every jam which supercharge me to the next moment– like the first moment of clearing the pack, receiving an accererating push, having an opposing blocker go down and seizing the chance to sprint through, or having one of my own blockers clear a perfect path of paved highway for me. Jamming can also be a high anxiety position, but I every jam I skate I have the power to give it my all; regardless of how many points I score, I using every ounce of energy I have leaves me with a deep feeling of satisfaction.
What is your best derby memory?
It was my first game back healing from my left leg break. As I was still in recovery mode, I wasn’t put on a line and was set to sub in at my discretion. On my second jam, Sour Cherry (bless her soul) fell on my “broken” leg right off the whistle. The adrenaline got me through the rest of the jam but I knew things were not all right, but I did not want to admit it. My coach asked if I was good for another one and I said yes. When I got to the line I noticed two of my blockers where in the box and the opposing team had a full line up. Clumzy Luver and Motor Vader were the blockers on the track. I felt a little desperate so I started a star pass to Clumzy, and this though the opposing team off long enough for me to get through the pack. I gave it allI had but I was taken out by a big blocker right around the first turn. I felt my leg give out entirely but I had to keep going as meanwhile the opposing jammer had been given a penalty so I was on a power jam. I got up and my body swayed to the outside of the track. I was sure I was going out of bounds and then I felt someone grab me, hold me tight and start to skate with me. In the most reassuring tone a voice said, “it’s ok, I’ve got you, I’ve got you. Just keep skating.” I was escorted through the opposing blockers and given a push to get me on my way. I was so out of it that I didn’t know who my guardian blocker was. I found out later it was Motor Vader, who is one of my very favourite people. I will never, never, never forget that moment because it was that was when I knew for certain what it feels like to be a part of a team.
Any plans or goals for your future in roller derby?
As a skater, I want to continue to work on all my skills (both jammer and blocker) until I get to the place where I feel completely confident in any position. As I don’t think this is something any skater ever really achieves, it looks like I might be playing roller derby for some time yet.
As a league member, I would like to continue to work with recruitment and retention and build a roller derby into an accessible sport for everyone– regardless of size, age, gender, or entry-level athleticism. I am passionate about building community and love having a front row centre seat to watch the committed and driven people around me conquer their own personal Mt. Everests.
Have any advice for future skaters (fresh meat)?
We are really lucky to have many leagues in the Edmonton area. I would recommend that anyone interested in joining derby take their time to visit the leagues to see where they feel most comfortable and find their best derby fit. Come out to games, talk to the players (even if you are shy) and ask them about their own experiences. I think knowing what you are signing up for will increase your chances for success. That being said, not all skaters advance at the same rate, but if you bring determination and commitment to the track, a challenging and supportive team environment will transform you into an athlete.
Anything else you’d like to say?
I think I’d like to take this time to make a small confession: when I first heard about co-ed roller derby, I had very little interest in even checking out the league. I was completely enamoured by the glitz and glam of roller girls and wrapped up in the idea of being a rockstar on skates. I associated men in sport to be sweaty, smelly, and like the stereotypical locker room jocks snapping towels at each other. I am actually embarrassed to think about how wrong I was. The River City Riot truly present a case for men’s roller derby to be called a “gentleman’s sport”. In co-ed derby I still get to feel like a rockstar in fishnets and mini leather kilts, but I also get to feel like I am part of something greater than that– of a team of men and women working together to be the very best athletes and human beings that they can be, and this makes me so damn proud to call this league my home.
A birdy tells me it’s also Badger’s birthday a few weeks from now, so I’ll take this time to wish her a VERY Happy Birthday from everyone at OCRD.