In 2012, Shenita Stretcher became as iconic of a derby girl as Demanda Riot and Suzy Hotrod. She is a superstar of this sport and a fantastic ambassador.
Shenita is a genuinely awesome person to talk to, and many people may not realize that she is just as obsessed with roller derby as the rest of us. She will talk about derby any time, anywhere and with anyone.
On the floor, the fluidity of Shenita Stretcher has only gotten smoother of these last 12 months. She has always been agile and beautiful to watch, but her level of tricksey-ninja moves has just exploded this season. Her time on that track is spent more in the blocker position now than it used to be, and it is fantastic to watch her lower her center of gravity and take out a line of girls in the process. Her backwards blocking is crazy-effective and her wall/stop game skills are just scary. That being said, her ability to take flight with the star is no less intimidating. She eats apexes for lunch and she is not afraid to attack a wall full force.
As a teacher, she is patient and generous. She is able to explain the steps of a process very well, and she is always willing to help a weaker skater understand a concept or figure out the mechanics of a drill. With her skill on the track and her eagerness off the track, it is not surprising that Shenita Stretcher won the title of Most Valuable Player for the 2012 Mid-Atlantic North All Stars.
Shenita encompasses everything I want to be in a derby athlete; on the track as well as off. She is a versatile player that gives equal importance to both her blocking and jamming skills. One position does not take training priority over the other, though one yields much more glamour. That balance is what I admire: fearless jammer as well as prominent blocker.
Off the track she is just as great. She is pensive and analytic in her studying of the sport. She once admitted to me some of her own derby crushes that she follows (I'm sure it was just to reluctantly reassure me that I was not creepy when I oogled over her at a clinic). She is patient with her coaching, taking time to listen to all the dumb questions from fangirls like me. And with as far as she has gone with her derby career, she still remains one of the most down to earth and personable derby athletes I have ever met.
That's what I want to be. – AssassinAsian, Black Rose Rollers
Thank you to photogs Dave Wood Photography, Sean Murphy and Tyler Shaw Derby Photography for the awesome shots!
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