Sasha Degrader, Photography by D.E.sign
How did you find out about roller derby?
My brother told me about SVRG. I had just gotten out of prison (for the last time) and did a lot of sitting on my mom’s couch with nothing to do, trying to stay out of trouble. As soon as knew it existed I was committed to doing it. The fact that the last pair of skates I wore was from Toys ‘R’ Us made no difference to me. I paid for bootcamp and all my equipment by modeling through Craigslist. Had I not done that, there would have been no way I could have afforded bootcamp.
What kind of skating skills or athletic abilities did you have before starting derby?
Me and my bestie, Corey, were die-hard roller skaters as kids. We used to lube up our wheels with my mom’s sewing machine oil and go skate down any downward slope we could find. I also played softball from t-ball through college at DeAnza. I was a catcher, 1st baseman, and right fielder.
How did you derive your derby name?
My derby name is a parody on adult film star, Sasha Grey.
What is your primary position?
Blocker
What is your greatest strength as a skater? What do you contribute most to the team?
I think my greatest strength is that I love feeling out of control.
What has been your greatest experience on the rink?
The Sk808 Tournament was probably the most fun I’ve had at any derby event.
What’s your worst injury?
The most annoying injury ever is a hip flexor injury. It’s like you’re injured but not. It takes months to heal and never totally goes away.
What are you looking forward to the most this season?
I’m looking forward to our downtime to catch up on my endurance and strength conditioning. I am also taking figure skating lessons starting in November.
What do you contribute to SVRG *off* the track?
Sponsorship is my new mission. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I know that whatever I do, God wants me to be successful. It will be a good learning experience and any failure is in not trying at all.
How do you spend the non-derby part of your life? What other hobbies and interests do you have?
I work two jobs. I work with Lindsay Lohanded at her office during the afternoons, and I work at Coffee Society on the weekends and some weeknights. I do H & I, and I go see bands play with my fiancé, Jack. Sometimes it’s really nice to just do nothing though.
What’s the one piece of advice you would give women interested in playing roller derby?
You have to make sacrifices if you want to do it, but if you do it right, it should change your whole life for the better. I wouldn’t trade this for anything. It’s going to be hard; you have to want it. There has to be no other option.
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