RZ Love
Keira MacGilvery reaches out to some fans after a recent roller derby bout. She skates for the Wasatch Assault.
Kira MacGilvery, a senior and member of peer ministry, has been doing roller derby since she was eight. The sport is extremly complex as there are three positions that have diffrent goals while the game constantly moves around the rink.
“The idea is you go fast and turn left, much like NASCAR. The points are who you pass. That’s probably the simplest explanation I can give,” said Ref. Daemon Mistress.
Kira mostly plays the position of jammer or in simpiler terms, “the person with the star helmet.” The goal of the game is to get the most points, which are won by the jammer passing players on the other team as blockers try to prevent them from passing.
Kira describes the sport as a loving community. “Because, like, you’re like, ‘kill, kill, kill, kill,’ until after the game, and the you’re hugging everybody and, you just get to love on each other, take naps, eat good food together.”
Kira discovered the sport at a cheer competition where there was a derby booth set up,. She fell in love. “And I was like, ‘I really want to try this.’ I went to the next practice the very next day, and I met teammates who I still play with today. That I’ll play off with until, like, I’m 30 or something. It’s amazing. I just felt like it was such a warming community. And it’s like I finally found the place where I feel comfortable.”