Name: Killer Kanary
Number: 240
Travel Team: Brawlers
Home Team: Lolitas
Years skating: 2
Don’t let her short stature fool you—she causes big problems for any opponent that goes up against the Brawlers! Get to know October’s skater of the month: Killer Kanary!
You were nominated by Bumble Beast, who wants to know why you joined derby, and is that the reason that you’re still in it?
I joined derby in the first place because I moved back to Knoxville after going to school in middle Tennessee, and I was like, I miss doing sports, I miss the environment I had when I did volleyball, band, that kind of stuff. I needed a way to exercise, I needed a way to make friends in Knoxville again, and so I joined, and my reasoning was: I can take a hit, so I think that this is something that I can do. I went to Skatetown a week before fresh meat and was like, let’s see if I can skate a lap. If I can skate a lap and not bust my ass, we’ll do it. And so I was able to do that, so I signed up, and I joined, and now I’m here!
I think that’s probably still the same reason I’m in it. I obviously like the competitiveness of it now and doing all of those types of things, but really, I do like finding you have this good group of people that, you know, if you need anything, you can go to them. But then also it does get me out of the house. It forces me to exercise (because I can’t force myself) and it’s a fun way to exercise rather than doing cardio that I hate. I still hate cardio at practice, but at least it’s on skates rather than running.
Well that’s really cool that you had done athletic things before! How does [roller derby] compare to things you had done in the past?
I wouldn’t say it’s not similar, it’s pretty similar. I mean, it’s a team sport, so I think a lot of the same things kind of apply. Like obviously I really only did sports when I was in school, but it has the same team aspects of it that you would expect. You find a good group of people—again, I think that's why people do sports in school as well, just so they have someone that they go to, that kind of thing. So I really think you develop the same types of relationships. I think we saw on the Brawlers this year—you kind of build, I can't think of the word right now, but like camaraderie almost? Like you can work really well together. And I think I really noticed that this season, and that's stuff I've noticed in the past. Even doing band, I think you have that, you know, you play really well together and you knew what one person would do and this other person would do. I think that's probably the most similar aspect of it.
What's your favorite position to play, and what do you love about it?
I really like blocking. I mean, we only have so many positions. But I think I've really gotten better at that this season. Just being able to, you know, hold someone is a very fun feeling. Whether that be with someone or on your own, like we worked on one-on-one blocking so much, and I think it just came a long way. I think I'd like to pivot in the future, but honestly I need to build some endurance before I can do such a thing! [laughs]
Which is not easy to do!
No, not at all. That’s probably my least favorite part, but it’s an important part.
How would you describe your derby playing style?
I don't even know! I think I'm a lot more vocal out there than I would say I am at practice? It's like we get out there, and I'm just talking I feel like the entire time, which is helpful for myself at least. So I think I'm just really vocal. Yeah, I think that's probably how I would describe it. I don't think I'm too aggressive yet. I think Bush wants me to be more aggressive.
Do you want to be more aggressive?
Yes? I think I get scared I'm gonna hit someone the wrong way, or do something wrong and end up hurting someone. And then sometimes I forget that I can just hit someone, and sometimes I feel like, you know, it comes off as you're kind of being a jerk. I think it'd be good if I was more aggressive because I feel like I do play a lot of offense, that kind of thing, but we'll see what next year brings.
What's your favorite kind of offense to do?
So what has happened is that I get the jammer and they grab onto me, and then I'm like a little cannonball. I can't say a big cannonball, but I still go through, I feel like. So I think that's fun. I really liked the person we had the clinic with last year (I can't remember her name right now, I'm blanking) but whoever we did the clinic with last year, and she would take out the brace and the two people, like both people on the line. I like doing two-in-one rather than just one. Not saying I do that all the time, but it is fun when you can.
What are some of your favorite achievements on the track?
There was one girl we played against, I can't remember what team she was on, I think it was not this last bout but the bout before. I think she was probably like six foot something; she was very tall, very sturdy, and I think I moved her once or twice. So that's a pretty good one. I jammed this year, got some points. I knocked some people down, I think, you know. The first bout of the season I got MVP Blocker, so that's always fun as well.
Did you have any goals for yourself for this season?
I don't know if I'm necessarily like a goal-oriented person, which sounds very strange. So I don't think that I really set any goals for myself, which maybe I need to. But you remember at the beginning of the season—I couldn't even do five minutes of laps without having to stop, and now that's something that I can do. So probably improving my endurance, and I feel like I have done that. It's been forced, but it's happened. Failing is what I’m focusing on! [laughs] I like derby, but...but yeah, improving that, but I don't think I really had any set goals necessarily. But I think I've achieved things that I'm proud of.
Yeah! I feel kind of similar in that sometimes I don't always have a set goal because the things I want might not be within my reach necessarily, so it's just like, whatever happens, I'm going to celebrate it.
Yeah, I think that's probably the way I'm kind of more so in just doing my best and you know, if I do something good, then fantastic. But yeah, so maybe next year I'll come with something that I want to make sure happens.
What is a hobby that you would like to get into or maybe one that you would want to return to?
Okay—let's see. I've been doing hobbies. I started basket weaving, which some people have heard about. I've been discussing my basket weaving. Let's see, outside of derby, I do naturalist things and so everyone knows my love of birds, so probably actually get more into birding. I don't go birding a lot, but I like learning about it. I like doing different things with it, learning all the stupid little bird names. So yeah, probably more actively birding.
Do you have a favorite bird that you could tell us one fact about?
I'm on the spot! But I have learned that I really like owls. Owls are chill, they’re cool, they're little crazy things. Their ears are actually lopsided so one is lower than the other, but it's so they can have more of a 360 hearing. And as you know, they can't turn their heads all the way around (I feel like everyone knows that). That's my fun fact!
How did you choose your skater name and number?
Obviously my skater name is Killer Kanary, and my number is 240.
So I have a disorder like Tourette's where I have tics, and so I make bird noises, little chirps and things. I forget who helped me come up with the name, but I was trying to come up with something fun, cute, and someone suggested, "Well why don't you do something bird related? Because you're making these little purrs and clicks and noises and things." I was like, well that's cute. So someone said Killer Kanary, and I didn't even come up with it. I can't remember who helped me, I think it was Kenzie who was there last year, did fresh meat with me. But yeah, so having tics, it's great.
And then 240: it comes from my area code when I lived up in Maryland, for the phone. I had no creativity, I didn't know what to do, so that's what I got.
How do you like to spend your time outside of derby?
I mostly hang out with my boyfriend and my pup. My dog wants to play all the time. He's an Australian Shepherd. He has a massive amount of energy, so I hang out with him a lot. I do a lot of reading. I take my naturalist classes where I do nature things. So yeah, and then I just work. That’s my main things.
What is something that roller derby has taught you about yourself?
You can do hard things! I think I've said this to everyone, but I really wanted to quit because at the beginning, when it—usually things click for me. Derby did not click for me, for a very long time, and it still hasn't fully clicked. But after doing fresh meat, I was like, I still suck, this is awful. I got held back in my fresh meat class, which was fine. [laugh] But I was like, I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to do this, so I was like I might as well just suck.
I guess it basically just taught me: you can do hard things, you can keep doing it, you don't have to be good immediately at everything because literally I think I stayed a couple more months and things just started clicking. It worked out for me, and I really like it now, and I can't imagine leaving. It's like a little cult. And now I'm in it. Can I leave? Who knows. [laughs]
Well this is a perfect segue—we are about to start a new fresh meat class, so any other advice you could give the fresh meat, besides don't give up because you can do it?
Don't give up, never surrender. You know, just be patient with yourself. It's really hard. I feel like we lose a lot of people because they kind of have that same thing where they're like, "Ooh this is not clicking." But literally everyone will tell you that, honestly you don't start really being able to grasp everything until two years in. Be patient, it takes some time, but if you stick with it, you're gonna love it, and everyone wants you to do well. They don't want you to fail, they want you to be there, they want you to do well.
Or do rec league! You don't have to be fully in it, because attendance, making attendance is hard as well. So just find a way to make it work for you, even if it's not necessarily like gonna fit everything in your life right now.
What is your favorite thing about Hard Knox as a team?
I think I've covered this a little bit, but just how supportive everyone is. You know, everyone was really sweet, everyone really wants you to feel welcomed. I think it took me a little bit to get into it, but people still keep inviting you to things and still want you to show up, even if you're not the most outgoing person. But yeah, I just like how nice everyone is and, you know, just the community that it is, which seems like a really basic answer, but that's the great part of it. You just have a community!
Who would you like to nominate next month, and what do you want to ask them?
Strike, my lovely blocking partner. What do I want to ask her...I feel like the easiest one is like why did you join? Why are you here? Who put you here? So yeah, I guess I'll ask her why did you want to do derby, and do you feel like you’re in a cult now? [laughs]
Kanary, thank you for a great conversation that kept me laughing the entire time! Readers, our regular season may be over, but you can still catch Hard Knox in the Pride Parade on Friday, October 6, and of course, some of you may be joining us as fresh meat very soon! Until next time, be like Kanary and know that you can do hard things.
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