Donita Mann

Why did you join TTRB?
I joined TTRB during a very difficult time… My life was like a dark, twisted country song. My 19-year old cousin got cancer, my mom got cancer, I lost (left) my home and career in Los Angeles to be near my family, my boyfriend dumped me, etc etc… I was adrift and depressed and isolated. Then I ran into a friend from years ago and she had blossomed into this confident, fit, positive, energetic life force and I was blown away. I asked her what had changed, and she said “derby.” It turned out that the last intake of new skaters was in a week, so I decided to be totally crazy and just dive in.

It seemed like fate. Like the right time. It seemed like, “Well, what the hell!?"

Here is what I anticipated: That I would be surrounded by strong, powerful, independent women. That I would become stronger and more physically fit. That I would get to finally be on a team sport where I actually liked my teammates and didn’t feel like a freak weirdo with nothing in common with the other jocks but enjoying competitive sports. That I would have something regular and stable in my life to focus on and distract me from all the sadness and sickness in my life. That I would push myself beyond what I felt capable of. That I would be energized and busy and active and be able to share it with a number of great, creative, crazy women with enormous hearts who would like and support me and who I could like and support. That I would have FUN!

Derby has turned out to be all that and more.

Who is your derby idol?
Hot Flash. She is the oldest rollergirl out there, and I love women who keep rocking out and don’t let anything slow them down. She’s a great, aggressive, fun and energetic skater, but beyond that she has an incredibly positive attitude and a generous spirit and would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. She’s not just my derby idol, she is one of my life idols. :)

Besides skating, what service do you provide to the league and the community?
I like to open doors for old folks and people with strollers. When old ladies drop things, I help them pick them up. I’m also a bone marrow donor.

How has derby improved your life?
Besides all the things I listed in my answer to why I joined, I have also become a lot more feisty and fearless in my daily life. I’ve always stood up for what I believe in and held my own in arguments, but now I’m not as physically afraid of other people. If someone tries to threaten me with, I still try to deescalate the situation, but I’m not afraid of having to defend myself.

I also feel that I have become more tough and resilient. In derby, when you get knocked down, you get back up – and fast. You don’t lay there, you don’t think about what just happened, you don’t lay there stunned or get your bearings, you don’t freeze up. You get back on your feet and you keep going. Life knocks everybody down sometimes. You just have to get back up and keep whizzing forward!

What do you do with your time, other than derby?
Besides my day job, I produce music videos and independent feature films. I am also a musician. I sing and play guitar, have been teaching myself to play piano and ukulele, and have recently begun accordion lessons. I also like drinking and dancing and having adventures, and recently discovered I really enjoy being in parades!

Do you have a quote/saying that means a lot to you?
“Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away.”
-Dinah Craik

What is your biggest fear?
Wasting my life. Also, overdraft fees. And parking tickets.

What makes you happy?
Roller skating, my puppy, music, birthdays, big hugs.

What is your favorite movie?
“Princess Mononoke,” followed closely by “The Baby of Macon.”

If you could be anything other than human, what would you be?
I would be an Amazon Woman from Outer Space!!!