Mae Lay

How did you come up with your derby name and number?
When I first started skating and doing derby, it felt (and looked) like absolute melee! That was when it dawned on me that I liked the name Mae Lay! As for my number, numbers are sometimes hard to decide on. There’s not often a clear-cut numeric association to any given name. .506, though, are the first three numbers of a formula for the chaos theory. I loved it! It’s organized chaos! Organized melee!

Why did you join TTRB?
As a TTRB co-founder, I don’t know that I actually joined TTRB, per se. It kind of joined me. I woke up one day with a business plan in one hand and an application for 501(c)3 status in the other. Sally and I just did it.

Who is your derby idol?
White Flight. Her feet are always moving!

Besides skating, what service do you provide to the league and the community AND How has derby improved your life?
Roller derby has given me the confidence to be more assertive and fearless. I am one of those skaters who claim that “Roller derby changed my life.” I loved the sense of community that I discovered while skating with PFM, visiting other leagues, and participating in roller derby workshops. THIS was where all of the strong, amazing women who I can admire were hanging out! Next thing I knew, Sally and I were laying the groundwork and establishing the nonprofit business side of Tilted Thunder. A year later, I was spending 40 hours a week running TTRB as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, trying to make practices, and working 45-50 hours a week at my “other”, paying job. Something had to give. I realized that TTRB was my priority, my baby, and I changed my career of twelve years to better accommodate the responsibilities I had accumulated within the league. It was the best decision of my life. I started this league because I thought derby and skating was fun, but I have learned so much more than I ever expected through all of the hard work I have put into it!

What do you do with your time, other than derby?
Um…. What other time? I skate, run the league, clean out the warehouse, balance the budget, meet with skaters and their committees, and sleep every once in a while. Sometimes, I even eat (usually at meetings)!

What do you like most about Roller Derby?
The amazing women that make up the roller derby community.

If you could give any advice to a new or interested skater, what would it be?
Just do it.

What is your biggest fear?
Scary trees.

What makes you happy?
Watching skaters grow, seeing their skills improve, then taking a serious hit that knocks the wind out of me from a skater who could barely skate just a few months before. That makes me so proud that I can’t help but smile as I pick myself off the ground!

If you could be anything other than human, what would you be?
Lead Jammer