Like a one-woman wrecking crew, TECHNO DESTRUCTO will take you DOWN!

Techno Destructo #987
Queen City Cherry Bombs
Seabrook Meltdowns – Captain
2012 Governing Body Member
Finance Deputy
Hello Kitty Enthusiast

You’ve been with the league since 2010. You are one FAST WOMAN on skates! What is your skating/sports background?
I don’t know if I’d consider myself to be fast but I appreciate the compliment. As for my background, besides some ill-fated attempts at soccer and softball as a child I have never really played any sports. I didn’t even know how to roller skate when I started. I was kind of like a floppy giraffe in the beginning. I remember going to see a bout in 2009 with my husband and expressing to him how much I wish I could do a sport like that. His response was, “Why can’t you?” He’s unbelievably supportive. The following January I nervously went to Roller Kingdom with him in tow and made the best decision of my life.

You play both jammer and blocker. What position do you find easier/more natural?
I definitely feel more comfortable as a jammer and honestly just love doing it. Call me a masochist but I enjoy the challenge of it and how it forces you to push yourself. I aspire to be as good as Madame Scurrie or Chicana Bruzya but am completely realistic that they are in a different stratosphere than me. I’m just proud that I have come this far without having any skating experience. If you had told me that I would ever jam for the Cherry Bombs when I started I would have told you that you were crazy. Blocking has been a little more of a challenge for me. I’m all legs and though that works in my favor as a jammer, sometimes not so much as a blocker. I’m always trying to get lower and hit harder.  Though I’m a proud member of the BSA (Bony Shoulder Army) I would love to lay someone out with a clean hip hit.

When you started out, what person/piece of advice do you think helped you the most?
I’ve been lucky to have a lot of supportive skaters since I started. My skater sister when I started was Empress Explosiva and frankly she scared the crap out of me. I remember finally getting to my Level 2 assessments and she was just wailing on me and I went down every time but finally on the last hit I didn’t fall. When I passed she was so proud and I realized that she was trying to prepare me and make me better. She’s a great person and skater. Currently my two biggest supporters and influences are Trina Trioxin and Madame Scurrie. Trina is my captain on the Cherry Bombs, an amazing player, and knows just how to get me in the right mindset when I’m feeling down on myself after a hard jam. She and I are very similar in personality so she just gets me. She’s definitely the heart of the league and really loves the sport. Scurrie is this unbelievable skater and player but also has this want to teach and better all players. I can ask her any day at anytime for help with something and she would be there in a heartbeat. I try to absorb as much information as possible about jamming from her. I would be stoked if I could become half the jammer she is someday.

What’s been your biggest derby challenge? (Fear? A technique? An opponent? Injury? Getting mistaken for Max and/or Priss?)
Oh man there have been a lot of challenges in derby for me. In the beginning my biggest challenge was having no skill. Crossovers, backwards skating, hitting… the list goes on. I couldn’t do anything.  I had a lot of self doubt. What I realized though was this sport is all about drive, commitment, and want. So I decided I would take one skill at a time and try my best to conquer them. I never missed a practice and eventually things slowly started making sense. Don’t get me wrong, I have a long way to go, but I am miles from where I started. Getting mistaken for Maxine Kerosene and Prissassin is an honor. Those two girls are fantastic. Max has the most amazing style and doesn’t give herself enough credit for being an amazing skater. Priss is a force to be reckoned with and has this wicked hip hit that I’m pretty sure damaged my insides the last time she hit me. My most recent challenge is just fine tuning my skills and being a more impactful skater. I want to master as much of this sport as I can.

How different is your private/work life from your derby life?
My work life and my derby life are completely different. I’m a Customer Service Manager at a grocery store and rock some really classy business casual clothing daily (I’m sure you can sense my sarcasm about my mandatory work attire). All my co-workers and employees know about my love for derby and I’m grateful that they have supported me and come see me play numerous times. The only similarity between the two is I am on the Governing Body and I’m the Finance Deputy for the league – both of which have aspects that I deal with at my job. As for my private life it’s really not that different from my derby life. A little crazy but a lot of fun.

Besides your Hello Kitty addiction, what else should we know about Techno Destructo?    
Well it’s obvious that I love Roller Derby but outside of that I have an amazing husband, Jesse, who I have been with for almost 8 years and just recently bought a house with. I have a pretty crazy work life so when I’m not doing derby I try to spend as much time with him and my fabulous group of friends. I’m really lucky to have so many supportive people in my life. I also really love music and going to concerts and someday would love to be in a band.

What was the highlight of this season for you?
For sure the highlight of this season for me was when I found out that I was captain of the Meltdowns with Bette Thistlehurt. Everyone has a soft spot for their home team but I really love those girls. I always say that the Meltdowns are like a giant puzzle and if one piece is missing it doesn’t work. They all bring something different to the table. This year the home team games have been brutal and for some of these girls it’s their rookie season so when you have those game-changing moments I feel so proud and hope I’ve done everything I can for them as captain. Thistle and I are a great team because we are so different but we get along so well. She’s like the peanut butter to my jelly and I’m like the ketchup to her mustard. We’re the Laverne and Shirley of captaining.

NHRD wouldn’t be the same without you, TECHNO!