Name: Princess Bubblebutt
Number: 08
Team History: I joined Fresh Meat in 2017.
Year you started roller derby: 2017
Where are you from originally? Iron Mountain, MI
Name a fun little known fact about you: I really love to sing, but I’m shy as heck.
How did you get involved with roller derby? I saw ads for Derby Boot Camp and I thought, why not? I knew it was going to be hard at first, but it just felt like a great fit. I needed to fill a hole in my life and it was really a perfect fit.
How did you pick your name? I’m a mad fan of Adventure Time, this wildly awesome and odd cartoon on Cartoon Network. There is a character on the show named Princess Bubblegum. She’s wicked smart and a strong leader. Also I have a giant butt. It was just meant to be, you know?
What is your pre-derby sports/skating background? I ran on my high school’s cross country team for one season. I was atrocious at it.
Please tell us about your rookie year and how you learned to play roller derby? I am still learning. I find myself improving and learning news skills at almost every practice. It’s frustrating and exhilarating at the same time. Everyone is so supportive it’s almost overwhelming. It’s truly an amazing group.
Do you have a pre-game ritual? I’ll let you know after I play my first game! But I imagine I’ll probably just be quietly freaking out.
Do you have a favorite motivational quote? “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” – H. G. Wells
What is your job outside of roller derby? And how, if at all, has it contributed to your experience of roller derby? I work in a media lab in the Humanities Department at Michigan Tech. It’s nice to step out of the relatively low-key world of academics and take part in such an intense, adrenaline filled rush as derby. It adds a nice balance to my life.
What advice do you have for people who want to play roller derby? You will find that the challenges are much more mental than physical. Stay with it. Persist.
And lastly, favorite places in the Keweenaw? Covered Road in Autumn. The first time I was there, I lost the ability to speak–it literally took my breath away.