Well.

Basically, this is exciting. It’s really, really, really exciting.

I’ve been skating with Liverpool Roller Birds for just over a year and a half now and I can honestly say that joining this league has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I get to play an awesome sport with an amazing group of people. And now, well, now they’re taking me on holiday!

I bloody love holidays. Find them wherever I can. I had to go to Lytham St Annes once for work and I proper made a day of it with ice cream and arcade games because technically if you go to a place that isn’t the place you usually are, it’s 100% a holiday. So, yeah, you could say I’m pretty excited about this.

It’s going to be cold! We get to wear scarves and bobble hats! There’s a THEME PARK and it will be all Christmassy, which means mulled wine and some sort of traditional Danish cake I expect. I also hear there is an ice rink and a MERMAID. Brilliant.

So, the flights and accommodation have been booked, insurance bought, luggage sorted and in a week’s time we will be travelling to Copenhagen for our last bout of the season. On 24 November, our Birds (A) team will be up against Copenhagen Roller Derby’s Rollin’ Heartbreakers and our Chicks (B) team are mixing it up with some guest skaters to take on the Kick Ass Cuties.

I’ve been skating with the Birds team for the whole of this season and I know these women. I know what we are capable of. I know that we are going to give the Rollin’ Heartbreakers a run for their money. We have trained hard this season, we’ve had some tough games against some tough teams but we are climbing the rankings and day by day we are getting stronger, working better together and becoming more confident.

I know that when the time comes and we’re on the track on bout day I’ll be focussed, serious and ready to do the best I can for my team. But right now, I won’t lie, this is mainly what is going through my brain: WE GET TO GO AND PLAY SOME ROLLER DERBY IN ANOTHER COUNTRY THAT ISN’T OUR COUNTRY.

Because, let’s face it, how bloody fantastic is that, right?

*Applies mittens and revises strategy* See you on the other side!

Yolanda B. Cruel

(Photos by Sakura and Pete Sheffield)

Copenhagen Roller Derby v Liverpool Roller Birds, 24 November 2012 – Facebook event page