DisloKate is a highly skilled and accomplished roller derby athlete who embarked on her derby journey in 2018 with Steel City Roller Derby, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During her time with the team, she honed her skills and developed a strong foundation in the sport. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a temporary halt to the roller derby community. Then following a relocation back home to Buffalo, New York, she rejoined the roller derby community in 2024 by becoming a member of Queen City Roller Derby. Her talent and dedication quickly earned her recognition, and she was subsequently drafted to two teams within the league: the Saucies and the Subzero Sirens.
Off the track, DisloKate serves her community as a volunteer firefighter with Seneca Hose Fire District, showcasing her dedication and bravery. With her skills, experience, and commitment to her community, DisloKate is a standout athlete and role model in the roller derby world. Today we have the honor of learning from her as this month’s featured skater.
Veggie Cowgirl: What is your day job?
DisloKate: I’m a writer and reporter for Buffalo Business First. We’re part of a larger corporation of business journals across the country. I write about higher education and manufacturing in Buffalo.
Tell me a little about yourself:
I’m 33, live in West Seneca and I’m from a big family who I love dearly. I have 18 nieces and nephews from ages 3-22, and they are some of the best humans I’ve ever known or will ever know. Being an aunt is the best part of who I am.
I’m married to Jingleheimer, one of the Buffalo Herd’s newest non-skating officials.
Skating is a huge part of who I am, and it doesn’t matter what kind. Whether it’s rollerblading, rhythm roller skating, roller derby, even longboarding—I like to keep it wheel.
I think it’s super important, especially in our world right now, to dedicate time to my community. I do this through fire and EMS work, but it’s also a great passion of mine to teach kids how to roller skate through the 716 Rollers’ Mentoring on Wheels summer program. Skating was so important for me when I was growing up, and I want other kids to have that same opportunity.
What position do you typically play (jammer, blocker, pivot), and what do you enjoy most about it?
My early derby brain told me jammers deliver hits and blockers absorb them, and I wanted that control. Well, my early derby brain lied to me. Now I’m a butt blocker, right where I belong. 
I deliver the hits now. I decide where the jammer can and can’t go. I’m the boss now. The level of my abilities as a butt blocker will determine how every jam goes, the points on the scoreboard and ultimately who wins. I like to be as sticky as possible, tracking that jammer, sucking them back when I can. I remember how defeating that was during my brief season as a wannabe jammer, so I try to do that to them.
How did you get involved in derby?
I’ve been skating for 28 years. My first pair of skates I got on my sixth birthday—my big sister Lisa pulled them out of a trash can in our neighborhood. They were pink Barbie skates with plastic wheels. They were garbage, but to this day, they were the best gift I’ve ever received. Lisa taught me how to skate, and I’ve always wanted to skate like her. She plays in a D4 ice hockey league in Brooklyn. She’s one of the only women in the league, and don’t tell her I said this, but she might be one of the oldest in the league. I can guarantee she’s one of the only people in the league who’s birthed seven children.
Anyway, I never had the eye-hand coordination for hockey, but when I saw an ad for roller derby in Pittsburgh, I thought I’d give it a try. Turns out, skating in a circle and hitting people is my sport.
What are some of your hobbies outside of roller derby?
As mentioned, I skate with the 716 Rollers, typically on Sunday nights at Rainbow Rink in Tonawanda. We do rhythm or dance skating and line dancing on skates. It’s a great group of folks who are very community oriented. We skate in the Juneteenth parade every year and line dance at Friday Night Live on Jefferson. 
Our Mentoring on Wheels program in the summer brings in kids who get group counseling, skate lessons, a brand-new pair of their own skates and usually a meal. If I could only pick one type of skating for the rest of my life, this program would be it.
I love any opportunity for fire training—preferably with live fire in burn facilities or acquired structures—that really pushes me mentally and physically and makes me better at my job.
Truly, I like anything active. I’m a runner, training for my first half marathon. I frequent the gym. I enjoy very intense family basketball games. I love to hike Letchworth every fall.
What is the significance of your derby name and number?
I wanted a derby name close to my human name to keep things simple. My name with the 716 Rollers is SkatieKatie, but that didn’t sound tough enough for roller derby. My number with Steel City was #13, but QCRD already had a #13, so I changed mine to #48. I knew I’d remember that, since my first fire company was #48 in North Strabane, Pennsylvania.
What is your most memorable derby moment or game?
You never forget the unimaginable joy of your first bout. I was so nervous before my first game that I pooped like four times in the hour leading up to that first whistle. But that was the most fun game of derby I’ve ever played, and I really try to channel that joy in every bout.
I’ll never forget S’FYA from Steel City, who hit me in practice until the wind knocked out of me and tears of frustration pooled. “I wouldn’t do this if I thought you couldn’t take it, now get up and come at me again,” she said to me. Every time I get up off the track after getting laid out, I think of S’FYA, the integrity she taught us, and the way she never quit. She passed away in 2023 after a battle with breast cancer, leaving behind so many who loved her and a legacy in the derby community.
What is your game day ritual or pump-up song?
I don’t really have one. I guess on the perfect day I’d do a guided meditation and stretch, but as I’ve said, I have a lot of obligations in my day.
Right before [one] bout (the one against Rochester) I worked a cardiac arrest in the field. Roller derby is a hobby, not the most important thing in my life. Some days, my head’s not going to be in it no matter what I do. That’s ok. The world will keep spinning.
I’ll definitely listen to some pump-up songs on my drive to the track, though. Most of my playlists are angry women artists. Love me some Avril Lavigne.
What’s the most challenging skill or technique you’ve had to master in derby?
I hate toe stops. I skated for 22 years without them, and it was a huge adjustment.
How does your team support you, and what do you appreciate most about your teammates?
For both the Sirens and the Saucies, there’s a lot of accountability. First and foremost, my teammates make me want to be a better human. Secondly, they make sure we’re showing up for practice and being intentional when we do show up. My teammates on both teams challenge me to think ahead in a sport that’s very difficult to do so.
What’s an area of your game you’re currently working to improve, and how are you approaching it?
I need to get lower. I’ve started doing more leg days to try to strengthen my derby stance. I had a knee injury several years ago that halted all types of skating and running and took a while to heal. So, I’m very cautious during leg day, but I’m trying to push myself more.
How do you contribute to a positive team culture, and what do you think is most important for building a strong team?
Well, I show up for as many practices, games and fundraisers as I can. Any time I lead league practice, I try to make it more fun and relaxed than you’d get at a team or travel practice. Skaters get burned out. Sometimes you need a break to breathe and remember you’re here to skate and have fun. That’s why at the end of my practices, we circle up, and each person says one thing they love the most about derby. Sure, winning is great, but the second I stop having fun in derby, I’m out.
Thank you, DisloKate, for sharing your insight and passion for the sport with us. Don’t miss the chance to see her and her team in action next season at Buffalo Riverworks.
Written by Veggie Cowgirl