DERBY DAMES DOMINATE Inside the bold, empowering world of women’s roller derby WO R DS Ama n d a Wi l s o n
Action-hero dreams of fearless stunts and daring adventures aren’t limited to little boys and boys-atheart. Girls and women, too, yearn to race, compete and conquer. Little action-hero wannabes grow up to hold stable jobs and keep families together, but the inner adrenaline-junkie remains. Roller derby is for women looking for their next adventure. The contact sport, complete with falls and collisions, started out as a form of roller skating racing in the 1920s and evolved into its current form in the late 1940s. Roller derby games, also referred to as bouts, consist of two opposing teams with each team scoring points by passing members
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spring | 2019
P HOTOS Miche lle Hamstra
of the opposing team. The Illiana Derby Dames, established in 2012, is a nonprofit organization whose team members hail from Northwest Indiana, Northeast Illinois, and the South Shore area. The bouts provide feel-good entertainment that builds women up while giving back to the community through donations and volunteer work. A local charity is selected for each bout; all proceeds go to the selected charity, and Dames are actively involved in community outreach throughout the year. “We strive to assist and support smaller local charities close to our skaters’ hearts,” says Dame Sarah Cantrell,
