I remember watching roller derby on T.V. when I was a girl. I also had some awareness that there was a women’s movement going on. I lived in an environment where women were not valued or nurtured or supportive of each other.
I told my parents I wanted to do roller derby when I grew up and they immediately shunned the idea. It seems that only “sluts and lesbians” play roller derby, not “good girls” like me. I wanted to be in sports as a young person but I wasn’t allowed. Also, I wasn’t very good at things like softball and volleyball but I always loved to skate.
I skated, hula hooped, played on the swings and rode my bike when possible. Being at home was sorta like being in hell. I read lots and lots and lots of books. My nose was buried in them all through my childhood and into my teens. I listened to countless hours of punk rock, hip hop and gospel. I know first hand that words are powerful and I want to be a person who uses words for the good of humanity.
Any hoo, what I’m trying to say is that when I was growing up it seemed like the media only saw fit to show certain types of people doing certain types of things, none of which interested or inspired me. With the Web, at least you can have A voice and you have the potential for others to listen to you. Why not use it frequently and wisely?
These days, I practice weekly with the Fresh Meat of the Los Angeles Derby Dolls. To see why I chose my skate name: Gal VanIZed, read my welcome post. I may have found out about roller derby a little too late in life to be competitive but I plan to stay on the roller derby scene for years to come.
Oh, and for those of you who need to know the particulars about me professionally, my real (married) name is Sheri Zampelli. Before that, I was Sheri Olson. I have a master’s degree in counseling and a bachelor’s in psychology. I’ve written two books: From Sabotage to Success and Donate Your Weight and I’m a public speaker. I teach part-time at Long Beach City College and I’m a hypnotist. I have a Donate Your Weight podcast and I’m thinking of starting a From Sabotage to Success podcast as well. I hypnotize people in my Long Beach, CA office. Give a call if I can help you relieve some stress or acheive an important goal: (562) 305-3434