Mae Lay

Q. What brought you to the Tilted Thunder Rail Birds?
As one of the league co-founders, I think I brought the league to me! Sally and I decided that we would try to bring banked track roller derby to Seattle, and the rest of the skaters followed! Thanks to all of the amazing skaters who believed in Tilted Thunder, we now have our track and our first banked track bout coming up on December 4th!

Q. How did you come up with your name?
When I started skating roller derby, it felt like absolute melee! It was total chaos! Mae Lay simply describes my derby experience!

Q. What inspires you to kick butt like you do?
I love watching my league-mates grow and improve! That alone inspires me to constantly improve myself.

Q. What is the best part about doing derby?
The amazing roller derby community! I love being surrounded by so many strong, admirable, and supportive women! Tilted Thunder is the most amazing family I could ever wish for!

Q. What advice would you give the new chicks?
Get up, and keep trying. Don't get frustrated if you don't learn something immediately! Skating is hard, and roller derby is even tougher. It takes time to learn! Stay determined, keep pushing yourself, and don't give up! And remember: you learn more getting knocked on your butt than you do just coasting along.

Q. What is your most embarrassing moment?
Just one? How about the night I was running around the nearly completed banked track (racing Gary, Thumper, and Rex on foot)? I wiped out on a turn and wound up with one skinned knee, one bruised knee, a skinned elbow, and a bruised wrist. I looked up to see Rex sprawled on the track ahead of me and several skaters gawking at us trying to figure out what had happened. I still blame the masonite dust. That was a little embarrassing.

Q. What do you do when you’re not skating?
When I'm not skating, I'm busy running the business side of Tilted Thunder! Lately though, I've been spending a lot of my time helping to build our track and making our warehouse into a "home"!

Q. What is your beverage of choice?
Sweet tea

Q. If you could be an animal, what would you be?
A Phoenix - the ultimate Bird!

Q. And lastly, if you were caught in an elevator with the leading man or woman of your dreams, right now, what color underwear would they catch you in?
Purple, of course!