Anyone Can Last 9 Rounds

As most of my friends know, I wouldn’t consider myself athletic.  I have spent money on gym memberships that were never used, purchased workout equipment that gathers dust in my garage, and I constantly admit that the only way I would choose to run, is if something were chasing me. 

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My Name is Annie and I’m Fresh Meat.

Most people laugh when they hear me refer to myself as fresh meat.  I don’t blame them; the last time I used that phrase was in reference to freshmen in high school.  And you know what?  It’s exactly the same thing.

Freshman year of high school sucks.  It’s gut-wrenching and painful.  You learn completely new things about yourself, have to make new friends and find your niche.  Your curriculum changes and suddenly you’re learning really hard stuff.  And your bookbag gets REALLY heavy.

Starting roller derby is no different.  In the four weeks since I started the fresh meat program, I’ve pushed myself further than I ever thought I could.  I’ve skated on numb legs, forced myself to keep going when every muscle in my body was on fire, eaten more pain killers than those three times I threw my back out (combined), successfully and unsuccessfully fought back tears, and screamed more than a few expletives.  And I’m not even halfway through.  But you know what keeps me going?  This is something I really, really want to do.

I’m not athletic.  At all.  I’m definitely not the kind of person people associate with a sport, much less a sport like derby.  And I’ll admit that, while I didn’t think it would be a cakewalk, I didn’t expect it to be this rough, either.  Derby practices are HARD.  But I love it.  I love seeing myself improve each week.  And I can’t think of anything other than derby that can give me that kind of satisfaction.

I saw a quote the other day that sums it up perfectly: “It if is important to you, you will find a way.  If not, you’ll find an excuse.”  I will not find an excuse.

P.S. Oh, another way being fresh meat is like being a freshman in high school?  Skate bags are REALLY heavy.

From CQS Fresh Meat
Annie Lambert

When I finished my very first practice, there were two questions that lingered in my mind.

1. What should my derby name be?
2. Oh my gosh… WHAT WAS THAT SMELL?????

By the time you have read this blog, you already know that I came to an answer for my first question,
but the second question had many layers that I have come to realize. Girls are supposed to smell like
sweet smelling roses all the time, but when you have a group of them exerting the kind of energy that
roller girls do during practices and games, there is no rose that could smell as sweet. [Read More]

 My dad had two daughters; one was a rough and tumble tomboy, and one was a girly girl.  While my  sister played outside in the dirt, I was in the kitchen baking. We were so different, and I was constantly  compared to the polar opposite that was my older sibling. We could never agree on anything, but this never stopped my dad from taking us to watch sporting events. It was at one of these events, where I  was first introduced to roller derby. [Read More]

Parents, are you looking for something new and exciting for your 10-17 year old girls? Sign them up for CQS’s Roller Derby Summer Camp. CQS Minis will learn skating techniques, falls, and roller derby strategies in a special one day bootcamp. [Read More]