29 Zoe Hayes

Zoe Hayes-29How did you first discover roller derby / what convinced you to join?
I first heard of roller derby in about 2009. I was living in London and my flatmate knew someone who played for London Rockin Rollers. I remember her describing a bout to me… it sounded like the craziest thing ever.

It wasn’t until 2012, just after I’d moved to Newcastle, that I actually watched my first bout. I went along to see my friend Anita B Nasty play with NRG. It took me the entire game (and a quick scan of the rules at half time) to figure out what was going on. It still seemed like the craziest thing ever but I was hooked and wanted to play! I joined NRG’s Fresh Meat course just a few months later and so began my roller derby adventure.

What have you learned from roller derby?
I’ve learned so much from both the game and being part of the league, I could probably write an essay response to this question, so I’ll stick to the most important thing I’ve learned instead – A shared goal is an incredibly powerful thing.

Who are your roller derby heroes?
VRDL All Stars. I love their style of play, their teamwork on track and the precision with which they execute their game.

What other sports / training do you do when you’re not on eight wheels?
I like to lift heavy things up and put them back down.

Teams
The Canny Belters
War Lasses