On paper, a roller derby girl with a PhD in linguistics, a job as a senior research scientist, and two children at home seems unusual. But Tonya is not that uncommon in the world of roller derby. Doctors, teachers, firefighters, lawyers, hairdressers, loan officers, stay-at-home momsâ�"you'll find them all and more in leagues across the country, sharing a common passion for the sport. The only way to run these skater-owned, skater-operated leagues, according to Tonya, is to understand that people are not defined exclusively by what they do. That goes a long way toward honoring each other's differences and utilizing everyone's strengths, both on the track and in life.
Rolling with "RAGE-edy Ann" Photographed by Tom Wallace
The mission of the North Star Roller Girls is serious. They're a skater-owned and –operated organization "dedicated to providing quality entertainment through competitive athleticism." Their mission statement goes on to explain: "We partner with local musicians and artists to increase public awareness for the sport of roller derby, and to showcase the talents within our communities. We also work to strengthen our communities by empowering women, and donating time, money and resources to charities."
But then there's RAGE-edy Ann, also known as Tonya, who is the co-caption of the Violent Femmes—"bad news babes from day one." Alternating in the positions of blocker, pivot, and hammer, Tonya and her teammates play one of the few organized contact sports for women. The sport draws a lot of interest. Though invented in America, the sport now has over 500 women's leagues in 16 countries. Though a growing number of male, co-ed, and junior leagues exist, the sport is about independent and empowered women. You can read about the Violent Femmes and other North Star Roller Girls' teams at NorthStarRollerGirls.com.
