Pain may only hurt, but that hurt can really suck, especially when it’s caused by the retirement of fan favorite Nurse RachHit. At the end of the season when RachHit moves on to her next adventure (Alaska!), we’ll be simultaneously wishing her well and missing her boatloads. We’ll miss her racking up the points with her powerful and agile jamming style. We’ll miss the way she barrels through walls, jukes around blockers, jumps the apex, and how she makes it all look easy (It’s actually hard. Really, really hard). We’ll also miss her goofy, fun personality and caring presence on the team. But we’ve still got her through July, so let’s celebrate everything that makes RachHit the amazing skater, teammate, and human being she is!

 

Read on to learn more about Nurse RachHit.

 

How did you come up with your name?

I am a nurse. In real life, I am a nice nurse, but my alter ego is the Nurse Ratched from the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I changed the spelling to make it more derbyish.

 

What positions do you like to play?

I love all positions in derby, but my heart is in jamming. I love the challenge of getting through a wall of incredibly strong blockers. I like using power, finesse, strategy, agility, endurance, and teamwork to get through the opposing team’s wall and score points.

 

What kind of gear do you use?

I skate on Antiks.

 

How did you get involved with derby?

For my first dance at my wedding, my husband and I did a roller skate dance to “Love Machine.” A friend of mine who came to the wedding from California played derby and started telling me about it. It sounded like so much fun, I looked into if there was a derby team in Rochester and there was. So I joined.

 

What is your athletic background? Did you skate before derby?

I did a little of everything growing up. Athletics have always been a big part of my life. In high school, I competed in Nordic skiing, cross-country running, and track and field. I continued to ski in college and also had a short stint as a diver. I did not skate before derby but did do a lot of roller skiing to train for Nordic skiing. This helped give me balance and comfort on roller skates.

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What sort of training do you do off the track?

I run and do strength training. I also cross-country ski in the winter.

 

What do you eat after practice?

I usually have a snack of yogurt, fruit, or chocolate. I also try to drink a lot of water to get rehydrated after practice.

 

Do you have a pre-game ritual?

I like to get a good warm-up, stretch, and check out the opposing team’s warm-ups.

 

What’s your favorite part about derby?

Being part of an amazing team of women, being physical, and the awesome workout I get at practice every day.

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Describe your biggest derby obstacle/disappointment. How did you overcome it?

My biggest obstacle is balancing derby with life. I have overcome it by giving myself 100% into each moment. When I am at derby, I am 100% in; when I am with my family, I am there 100%; and when I am at work or school, I have 100% of my energy into that.

 

Besides skating, what other roles do you take on for the team?

I have been part of the bout committee, head of the community outreach committee, part of the training committee, and led new recruit training.

 

What do you do outside of derby?

I recently graduated with a Doctorate of Nursing Practice as a nurse midwife. I am also in the Air Force and will soon be taking care of the women on the Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska. I love camping, canoeing, being on water, and spending lots of time with my husband, son, and dog.

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How has derby changed you (physically, emotionally, mentally, etc)?

Derby has made muscles sore that I didn’t even know that I had. It has given me confidence, strength, endurance, and a competitive outlet.