Tink

TINK #1337

Age: 36

Occupation: Nurse

Non-derby hobbies: I enjoy sewing, gardening and general suburban homesteading (chickens, beekeeping, growing veggies), and just being a mum to two small women.

Tell us about your derby name. I was an avid gamer in my 20s and Tinkabel was my screen name in games like World of Warcraft. I couldn’t think of any funny puns and ended up with Tink!

What’s the story behind your number? 1337 – another silly gamer reference. Either you know or you don’t.

How did you discover roller derby? I knew about roller derby when I lived in Darwin 10 years ago. I was pregnant at the time so wasn’t involved, and didn’t realise non-skating positions were an option.  A few years went by and we decided to move to Bunbury and knowing absolutely no one, I knew I had to get out there to meet others.  I contacted Bunbury Roller Derby (BRD) about joining and bought a pair of skates and a helmet. That was 6 years ago and I have never looked back.

How long have you been with DPR? Almost 12 months now.

What skating experience did you have when you joined? I transferred with another skater from BRD.  I'd been on their home and travel teams for 5 years.

What do you love about DPR… what keeps you here? DPR was one of those leagues that were always having fun whilst you were versing them, whether they were winning or losing.  Skaters had a smile, never a nasty comment on track, you just knew there was a positive vibe going on. Whilst people come and go, I do believe there is still that friendly and encouraging vibe here at DPR and I'm glad I made the decision to transfer.

Favourite derby moment so far? It would have been The Great Southern Slam 2016 when the smaller WA roller derby leagues (Bunbury, Margaret River and DPR) took over a stand in the grand final to watch and celebrate derby! All leagues are friendly and welcoming, and we do tend to stick together to show a mighty WA force.

Biggest obstacle you’ve overcome? Believing in my abilities is my biggest obstacle. I still to this day will often come off track thinking I didn’t do as well as I had hoped, or I didn’t nail that thing I wanted to do, or I could have done that better. We are all on our journey and you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Sure, look up and be inspired by those skaters who impress you for doing those amazing blocks, or a jammer that just dances around the apex, but you never really know who is looking up to you as their inspiration.

What advice do you have for a new skater? Practise as much as you can outside of training. I would wear my skates skating between my dinner table and the kitchen just trying to remain stable. Off skates fitness is really important too, not saying to go sign up to gym or PT sessions, but just doing a small 20 mins worth of squats, balancing activities, push ups can greatly improve your strength and stability as a new skater.