In what year did you start playing roller derby?
2023
Is there a story behind your name?
My Fiancée and I like to try new flavors of mountain dew, and keep a tier list. We were thinking of what mountain dew names would make a good derby name and Sweet Lightning sounded like it would make a good derby name and it’s also my favorite flavor.
Did you have any previous athletic or skating background before starting roller derby?
No. I actually don’t consider myself athletic at all. I got skates for Christmas after COVID and then I started taking the baby learn to skate classes at Astro-skate. Then I looked up Orlando Roller Derby and saw there was a recruitment session coming up and decided to join. Not being athletic at all was very intimidating for me, but for anyone who thinks they can’t do it because they’re unathletic! That’s not true! (You don’t have to be competitive either! Trust me!)
Tell us about your gear!
It doesn’t have to be a complete inventory. Is there anything interesting about your skates? Do you have a specific wheel or protective equipment you like? Is there a tool you can’t live without? etc.
I don’t think I could live without my hockey helmet! Because I’m super scared of getting a brain injury. It’s definitely an investment but on the flip side it’s more customizable and makes me feel a lot more confident. I promise this is related but, when the last hurricane came through Florida the weather person I had on was saying that in the case of a tornado, if you have a helmet you should put it on to protect your head. So I guess not only is it good for protecting my head during derby but also for protecting my head from flying objects in a tornado? Lol. Second, shout out to JoJo for giving me some extra knee pads that she didn’t need anymore. I’ve been using them for the longest and I love them!
What’s your favorite Orlando activity that isn’t a theme park?
I like thrifting a lot. There’s a few good places around Orlando. HOPE’s Chest is technically in Oviedo but I think it counts. I OMG Thrift is a pretty good place as well. Goodwill Bins is a bit like a treasure hunt, but its sort of soothing digging through the piles of clothing and trying to find a gem. In a weird way?
Everyone loves restaurant recommendations. Which Orlando area restaurant would you tell people to check out?
This is going to sound weird because as of 2024 I’m pescatarian so I don’t eat red meat/poultry anymore and really, and really like there’s so many chicken places in Orlando so everyone probably already has their favorites but Chicken Fire is/was my favorite Chicken Place in all of Orlando — and also ever?! Also shout out to Black Bird Coffee and Comics! Their drinks are amazing!
