j Submitted Photo
Members of the Camel City Thrashers.
Heck on Wheels
Female roller derby team gaining momentum
in LAYl \ I \KMI R
l lll CHRONIC! I
A group of women arc try
ing to bring the revelry of
roller derby to the local
scene. The Camel City
Thrashers, as the fledgling
Winston-Salem team is
du,bbcd. is- looking for some
"fresh meat." or new mem
bers. to bolster its roster.
The sport, which was
founded in (America over a
ceftfury ago, 'pits two teams
against each other on an oval
track. The members race on
roller skates, vying to get
their leader, or "jammer" as
they're called, to the finish
line first. Physicality is a
must, but proponents of the
sport say it is completely
safe, save a few bumps and
bruises.
Once a co-ed sport, roller
derby today is enjoyed almost
exclusively by women, and
teams have cropped up in
many parts of the world.
Players adopt catchy nick
names, often plays on words,
and are known for donning
flamboyant costumes that
reflect the playful nature of
the sport.
"There's a bit of the
atrics." said Luzviminda
Malibiran, who founded the
Thrashers last summer. "... I
think that's sort of fun for
people because once a week,
they get to be this other per
son."
Home healthcare profes
sional Sarah Rutledge. AKA
"Mia Meanie," joined the
team last spring and says she
fell in love with the sport
right away.
"It'll make you feel bet
ter," she remarked. "It just
gets those endorphins flow
ing."
Though she has played
other sports over the course
of her lifetime. Rutledge says
that nothing compares to the
euphoria she feels when she
laces up her skates and hits
the derby track.
Being involved with the
Thrashers has greatly
irtfproved her quality of life,
added the 25-year-old.
"I'm happier: it just gives
you a break from the every
day routine," Rutledge relat
ed. "It makes you feel like
you're doing something (of
value) ...It gives you some
thing to look forward to. 1
love it."
Rutledge has found her
participation has yielded
many fringe benefits.
"You meet people, you
make friends - y.ou can't help
it." she commented. "You get
into better shape - it's
inevitable - I think just about
everybody on the team has
lost weight (since they start
ed)."
The team provides a con
structive outlet for those in
the 2()-something crowd and
beyond, many of whom are
looking for ways to get out
and meet people, said
Malibiran.
"A lot of girls at this age
go to bars (for entertain
ment)," she pointed out.
"This is something a little
more creative, a little more
athletic, a little more posi
tive."
Malibiran. who is other
wise known as "Tokoyo
Cowgirl," a name she chose
to reflect her diverse heritage,
met a roller derhy team a few
years ago and was immedi
ately intrigued. -
"It seemed like a lot of
fun." related Malibiran, 38.
Since there was no team
in the area, Malibiran - who
works as a piano teacher and
owns her own company, min
damusicstore.com - decided
to start her own.
But getting the Thrashers
off the ground has not been
an easy task. Currently, the
team has eight members, but
they need a roster of at least
15 in order to compete in
most bouts, as the competi
tions are called. Finding a
venue where the group can
practice has also been a chal
lenge, Malibiran says.
The team is open to any
and every woman who wants
to participate, she added.
"Beginners are welcome "
she stated. "...It would just
be great if we could get the
support from the community,
?and it would , be great to
attract women that wanted to
build this sports team."
The team is still working
to boost its reputation and
visibility within the commu
nity. Malibiran said.
"It's so fun when you go
to a bout, and we would like
MORRISON
Early Sunday Morning
September 27. 2009 Percy
M. Morrison age 91, former
U ol
M n a r D
Drive com
pleted his
earthly jour
ney at Kate
B. Reynolds
Hospice and
Palliative
Care. He
was norn
October 8. 1917 in Iredell
County (Statesville) to the
late Zora Morrison. He was
married to the late Gladys W.
Morrison. Mr. Morrison was
retired from Western Electric
now known as AT & T after
27 years of service. There
will be a family visitation
hour on Thursday. October 1 .
2009 at Grace Presbyterian
Church, 3901 Carver School
Road from 12 noon- 1:00pm
with funeral services imme
diately following at 1:00pm.
Onlipe condolences may be
received at www.hooperfu
neralhome.net.
to bring that entertainment to
our town as well," she
remarked. "...(Roller derby
is) such a good moneymaker;
everybody involved seems to
benefit from it. If it were to
grow, it would bring a lot of
money and a lot of attention
to Winston-Salem."
For more information on
the Camel City Thrashers,
v I s i t
www.camelcitythrashers.org
or contact recruiting officer
Heather Alza at (336) 682
2613.
The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by Ernest H.
Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published every
Thursday by Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing Co. Inc., 617
N. Liberty Street. Winston-Salem. N.C. 27101. Periodicals
postage paid at Winston-Salem. N.C. Annual subscription price
is $30.72.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
The Chronicle. P.O. Box 1636
Winston-Salem. NC 27102-1636
News
Clips
( '?mjuUit ft* itn stall a i ami
kubmituj n jun I \
Women's Fund to hold
annual luncheon
The Women's Fund of
Winston-Salem, a growing
community of female phi
lanthropists who seek to
improve
II1C IIVCM UI
women
and girls in
Forsyth
County,
has
announced
that Wake
Forest
\J 1 1 I V v 1 .1 1 l > ? ?
Provost Cook
Jill
Tiefenthaler will deliver the
keynote speech at its fourth
annual luncheon on
Wednesday, November 1 1 ,
from noon to 1:30 p.m. at
the Embassy Suites Hotel,
460 North Cherry St. The
event is opiyj to the public.
Tickets are^$25, and may be
purchased online at
www.womensfundws.org.
The first female to hold
the position of provost in
Wake Forest University's
history, Dr. Tiefenthaler, a
professor of economics,
will talk about the impor
tance of economic empow
erment for women and the ?
difference that it makes in
the world, drawing on her
own research, personal
experience working with
low-income women, and
some of the work that she
has done in public engage
ment with students and
community partners
"We are thrilled to have
Dr. Tiefenthaler inform and
motivate our members and
friends to improve the eco
nomic, educational, physi
cal health, and emotional
well-being of women and
girls in our community,"
said Michelle Cook, chair
of The Women's Fund and
vice chancellor for universi
ty advancement at Winston
Salem Slate University.
Go to
www.womensfundws.org
for more information.
Credit Union supports
home for pregnant teens
State Employees' Credit
Union members, via the
SECU Foundation, are pro
viding funding for a
$500,000 zero percent con
struction loan fb help build
My Sister's House, a
licensed group home for
pregnant teens and their
children in Greensboro, NC.
The 4,500 square foot group
home will accommodate a
combination of 10 residents
(5 teen moms and 5 infants)
and staff. The facility will
be licensed under the
Department of Health and
Human Services as a
Residential Maternity
Home.
SECU is partnering with
the North Carolina Housing
Finance Agency (NCHFA)
for this supportive housing
project, which is sponsored
by Youth Focus, Inc, a non
profit that provides a wide
range of services to at risk
youth and troubled young
people ages 5-21. NCHFA
provides permanent financ
ing to help North Carolina
non-profits like Youth
Focus, Inc to buif^housing
for persons with disabilities
and/or special needs.
Duke Energy, UNC join
for wind project
In a pilot project
designed to harness the
power of the ocean breezes
along North Carolina's
coast, the University of
North Carolina at Chapel
Hill and Duke Energy
announced they have signed
a contract to place up to
three demonstration wind
turbines in the Pamlico
Sound.
The pilot project builds
on a nine-month study com
pleted in June 2009 by UNC
for the N.C. General
Assembly which found
"North Carolina is well
positioned to develop utili
ty-scale wind energy pro
duction"
These demonstration
turbines may be the first
turbines placed in water in
the United States, providing
UNC with a valuable oppor
tunity for ongoing research
about issues raised in its
Coastal wind study. Duke
Energy will pay for the tur
bines and their installation.
UNC will continue its
research throughout the
project.
"This project is a great
example of how university
research can expand our
understanding of an issue -
in this case, wind energy,"
said UNC Chancellor
Holden Thorp. "Then an
industry partner like Duke
Energy can use that
research to do what they do
best and develop this on a
larger scale."
LITTLE HEARTS REQUIRE
SPECIAL CARE
CHILDREN BORN WITH HEART DEFECTS CAN LIVE LONG, HAPPY LIVES
thanks to our pediatric cardiologists at Brenner Children's Hospital. These
specialists are the only doctors in the area with training in both pediatrics and
cardiology? so you know that your child is receiving the best care possible.
Six pediatric cardiologists and one pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon offer the
latest treatments and diagnostics to help children recover quickly without lengthy
hospital stays. Our pediatric experts also have perfected heart surgeries that allow
children to avoid painful scars. These same experts can diagnose heart problems
before babies are born, allowing time to plan for immediate care upon delivery.
In addition, our specialists can also treat children with irregular heart beats,
hypertension, heart defects, blockages and more.
If you think your child has a serious heart problem, talk to your child's doctors and
ask them to call the pediatric specialists at Brenner Children's.
For more information about our pediatric cardiologists, visit our website at
brennerchildrens.org. And whatever your insurance, chances are we take it.
KNOWLEDGE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
Since 1993, Wake Forest University Baptist-Medical Center
has been consistently ranked as one of America's best
hospitals by US New s & World Report
Brenner Ch/lcfren's Hospital
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
Wake Forest University Baptist
I?
MEDICAL CENTER
Heart Center