Our next featured skated in a seasoned vet, former Alley Kat, former Devil Dollie and former Furies skater. She’s taken a break from skating with a home team this season but she’s redirected he talents. Currently she serves as a co-captain of our newest travel team the Sub Zero Sirens. She can jam. She can block. She can do it all and she’ll give you her little sideways smirk as she does it. She’s none other than #64 herself. The very modest Celery STALK-Her.
How did you get your start in the league?
For Mother’s Day in 2009, I took my mom and step dad to go check out a bout. I was hooked after watching the first jam. It was right then and there I knew derby was something that I just needed to do and felt it was something I’d really excel at. That summer, I attended boot camp and that fall I was drafted number one overall by the Alley Kats.
What was your biggest fear and how do you get over it?
I think my biggest fear when I first started was getting injured. I learned early on that it was something that I needed to get over with quickly. This sport is demanding and you cannot play at your full potential if you have a fear of getting hurt. In order to progress as a player, you often have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone by trying new things and always expect to fall down when doing it.
How do you prepare for a bout?
I start my morning with a huge cup of coffee and a big breakfast. At some point during the day I spend about 20 minutes doing some light stretching while visualizing different game scenarios. I like to eat lots of healthy snacks, watch game footage, take a nap, a hot shower, and blast some pump up tunes when I’m getting ready.
Do you train outside of practice?
Absolutely. Cross training for this sport is so crucial. It’s really important to do more than just skate if you want to take your game to the next level. Also, I train my brain outside of practice by watching a ton of footage.
How has playing derby impacted the rest of your life?
Derby has impacted my life in so many ways. I am in the best shape of my life and it is something I definitely want to carry on after my derby career. Derby has made me stronger and healthier. I’ve changed the way I eat and how I treat my body overall. Also, because of this sport, I have made some lifelong friends.
What are your goals for this season?
This year I decided to take a step back from skating on a home team and go strictly to a travel team and I am beyond excited about it. This season I plan to spend more time getting stronger off the track and more technical on the track. Also, I have the same goal every season and that is to stay out of the box, I have always been a relatively clean skater and I’d like to keep that going.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment both on and off the track?
My greatest accomplishment on the track has to be making it onto the Lake Effect Furies after only one year of skating. I have skated in 20+ games with the travel team and played against teams like Charm City, Montreal, etc., and took away something from every game/practice I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of. Off the track… my very first season I was nominated for Rookie of the year and Jammer of the year. Also, being nominated and featured as the skater of the month feels like a huge accomplishment to me.
Do you have a player(s) that you admire?
When I first started in the league I was and still am super fond of my now friend, (current Lake Effect Fury) Pepper Stix. She knows this already, but at the time she didn’t. During my first year, I follow her around and emulate everything she was doing. I was extremely excited when we finally became teammates when I joined the Lake Effect Furies. Another skater that I have been following ever since I went to watch the WFTDA Championships in Colorado (2011) is Scald Eagle. Her strength and skating style is extremely inspiring. There are a handful of other skaters that I have admired throughout the years: Stefanie Mainey, Smarty Pants, Juke Boxx, Georgia W. Tush, Urrk’n Jerk’n, Fifi Nomenon, Demanda Riot, Tracy Akers, Scratcher in the Eye, Licker N’ Split and the list goes on. There is so much talent in the derby universe and all skaters have their own uniqueness about how they play the game and it’s hard to not admire everyone!
Tell me about your most memorable derby moment.
I have had so many amazing moments in my derby career, but the most memorable is going to D1 playoffs with the Lake Effect Furies last year. This was an amazing journey because I know how much hard work we have all put in over the years and how we pushed each other to make it to that point. Our first D1 win against Toronto still gives me all the good feels. It was an epic moment.
WHERE ARE YOUR FAMOUS GREEN SOCKS??? How did that get started?
Oh those fancy neon green socks!? I started wearing the green socks because it just made sense to me. Celery is green, so I should wear green socks since my legs are like my stalks. I still have them and they are tucked away with my neon green hot pants. Maybe they can make an appearance for an expo bout this season.