Skater of the Month | Skater of the Month |
August 2010"Svetlana Sockabich #667"Member of the River Valley Roller Girls since November 2009.
Svetlana was born in the city of Prypiat in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. She was the daughter of American spies who were on assignment in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. As a child, her hobbies were taxidermy, ice skating and beating up boys. She had read about roller derby in her parents American magazines & became obsessed with the idea of one day running away to the United States to pursue her roller derby dreams. At a young age, Svetlana’s ice skating talents were recognized by a member of the Soviet Union Figure Skating Committee & she was immediately enrolled into the Soviet School for Olympic Training. After being shipped off to Moscow to start training for the 1988 Olympic Games, Svetlana heard news of the massive nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. She feared the worst for her mother and father who were at work at reactor number four where the meltdown took place. After receiving news that both of her parents suffered massive exposure to radiation and died from the affects a few short days later, Svetlana saw no reason to remain in the Soviet Union. During this time, the 1986 Ice Hockey World Championships were taking place in Moscow and Svetlana was looking for a way out. She befriended several members of the American Hockey Team and after explaining her situation, they agreed to help smuggle her out of the country. After arriving in the U.S. she roamed the country for years until she found her new home in the River Valley. Since joining the River Valley in Nov. 2009, Svetlana has been a huge asset to our sponsorship committee. Selling ads and wrangling donations seems to be her specialty. Her derby skills keep improving with every practice and she is on her way to becoming a force to be reckoned with. She started off playing in the Blocker position and has recently proved to be an effective Pivot as well, who knows, she may be quickly moving along to the Jammer position. Svetlana is a strong team player on and off the track and we are thankful to have her on our team!
May/June 2010"Janie Jawbreaker #86"Member of the River Valley Roller Girls since September 2007.
As a member of the RVRG team, Janie Jawbreaker plays a mean pivot. What makes her stand out most amongst the rest of our lovely ladies is her ability to play every jam of an entire bout. That’s right! On May 16 in Springfield, MO, Janie Jawbreaker lead our team to a smashing victory against the SRG Battle Broads and did it without sitting a single jam. Sure, she had a couple trips to the penalty box, but still very impressive! Congratulations Janie! April 2010"Drop Dead, Darling #00"Member of the River Valley Roller Girls since July 2007.
Drop Dead, Darling is a 2007 graduate of South Side High School and currently attends the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith where she is majoring in Biochemistry. In the fall of 2010, DDD will be making the transfer to O.U. in Norman, OK to continue her education. She will be studying to become a Doctor of Dental Surgery and hopes to become a member of the Oklahoma Victory Dolls. During her time with River Valley, Drop Dead, Darling has demonstrated character, honesty, loyalty & perseverance. She has been instrumental in designing and implementing new drills and strategies. Drop Dead, Darling has been one of the River Valley’s most valuable players over the past 3 years and we are grateful to have had the privilege of skating with such an awesome individual. Congratulations Darling! |
