The Players
When 16 West Indian women come together to start the first Roller Derby Team to represent their countries at the world cup, they find there's a lot more on the line than the game.
DisorderLee (45rpm)
Name: Lee Lewis
Derby name: DisorderLee - Founding Member
London - Saint Vincent/Trinidad and Tobago
London born and raised, Lee talks about the importance of her Trinidadian heritage growing up, and the importance of representing the West Indies in the World Cup.
Mah-Ko (62)
Name: Amanda Jessica Kendal-Brown
Derby Name: Mah-Ko
Chicago, Illinois - Trinidad and Tobago
Miami born, Mah-Ko spent her childhood between Trinidad and the USA.
She is the only player living and competing in America and won’t meet or train with the rest of the team until a weekend tournament in Wales a couple of months before the World Cup.
Rammit (6)
Name: Jessica Ali
Derby Name: Rammit - Captain
London – Guyana
Born in Canada, Rammit grew up all over the world. She talks about the various heritages represented in Guyana and her special connection to the West Indies.
As the captain, she leads the team through the physical and mental challenges of the World Cup.
Violet Attack (16)
Name: Simone Radway
Derby Name: Violet Attack - Vice Captain
Birmingham - Saint Kitts and Nevis
Attack is the only skater in the team to have played in the first world cup, representing England in 2011. She shares about the physical challenges of the world cup, and her experience in high level roller derby competitions.
She-Rarr (242)
Name: Erica Mitchell-Packington
Derby Name: She-Rarr
Sheffield - Jamaica/Bahamas
Born in Jamaica, SheRarr spent her childhood in the Bahamas, only to come to England for the first time in her teenage years. She talks of dual heritage from a unique perspective.
She shares her feelings about juggling between training and looking after her daughter, and her fears of injuries as she is playing with a broken collarbone.
Jobson (37)
Name: Victoria Jobson
Derby Name: Jobson
Swansea – Jamaica
Single Mum working as a cardiac scrub nurse, Jobson talks about the struggles and challenges to juggle between family life, work and training for this high-level competition.
Zed Z. Sputnik (11T2)
Name: Zelma Lafond
Derby name: Zed Z. Sputnik - Founding Member
Enfield - Commonwealth Of Dominica
After jokingly saying there should be a team to represent the West Indies in the first roller derby world cup, Zed instigated the team. Having stopped playing a couple of years before to focus on reffing, she’s had to step on the track again for the 2014 world cup.
Cookie D’oh! (13)
Name: Ann-Marie Salmon
Derby name: Cookie D’oh! - Founding Member
London - Jamaica
Joining Zed’s idea to start the team, Cookie started the application for the team. She was also a referee at the time and had to get back on track for the world cup.
Smacks’ (31)
Name: Naomi Harris
Derby Name: Sammi L. Smacks’Em (31)
Birmingham - Jamaica
Smacks talks about the impact Roller Derby has had on her family life, having a place to let go of stress so she can be more relaxed with her children, and the joys of a full contact sport.
The 2014 squad included:
Cookie D'oh! (13) - Anne-Marie Salmon
DisorderLee (45rpm) - Leehere Lewis
Enemy (15) - Natalie Gordon
Ida Bomb (1080) - Princess Marshall
Kylie Volatile (138) - Monique Boyce
Mah-Ko / Kendal-Brown (62) - Amanda Kendal-Brown
Polly Filla (5) - Charlotte Ulett
Rammit (6) - Jessica Ali
Sammi L. Smacks'Em (31) - Naomi Harris
She-Rarr (242) - Erica Packington
Suzette la Flamme (66) - Vanessa Gutzmore
Tantrum (328) - Tanya Morrison
Toni Smaxton (42) - Jodie Ramsay
Jobson (37) - Victoria Jobson
Violet Attack (16) - Simone Radway
Zed.Z.Sputnik / Lafond (11T2) - Zelma Lafond
Dr Blocktopus (Bench Coach) - Tom Pritchard
Jack Attack (Line Up) - Jackie Mason
John Hesse - Official photographer
16 women, and more to come
The 16 women who represented the West Indies in the Roller Derby world cup in 2014 were only the start.
After putting the team on the map, they were able to come back to the 2018 world cup with a squad stronger than ever.
Although this story focuses on the first squad and the start of this adventure, we would like to acknowledge the team supporting them on this journey, as well as all the skaters involved, from potential members trying out, to new squad members, opponants, refs and everyone involved in helping this sport happen.