Grief to Grit: Corpus Christi roller derby leader helps women turn pain into power

Hurricane Alley Roller Derby is working to keep the sport alive in the Coastal Bend while providing a support system.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Hurricane Alley Roller Derby is keeping the spirit of the sport and sisterhood alive in Corpus Christi.

While the sport isn’t as popular as it once was, it remains a powerful outlet for people going through difficult times.

The team is still rolling up its sleeves, tightening its pads and letting the good times roll.

Leading the charge is Monica Tijerina, also known as Vicious Nikki but don’t let the name fool you.

“I feel energized. I feel important because I know I’m not out there by myself. I’m out there with my team, and that’s the main thing – is to be there for each other,” Tijerina said.

She joined the team a decade ago, but her reason goes beyond sisterhood. It’s personal.

“My daughter did roller derby, and I used to watch her skate. I taught her how to skate when she was little, and she joined derby and, long story short, she passed away,” she said. “I get emotional sometimes telling the story, but I skate in her honor,” she said.

Now, the sport is taking on a whole new meaning. It’s become an outlet.

“I feel I’m not healed, but I’m healing. Skating in her honor makes me feel that she’s on the track with me. Not only that, roller derby helped me heal my wounds by meeting other skaters who have been through a lot like I have,” she said.

Roller derby is known for its speed, strength and hard hits. But the women in this league say what matters most is getting back up and never giving up.

And that’s what Lacy Zars, known to teammates as Redhead Redemption, said is important.

“I was going through a period in my life where things had gotten pretty quiet. I wanted to be more physically active and have more of a social life, so I looked it up online, decided to try it out, and I’ve loved it ever since,” Zars said.

She said the sport doesn’t discriminate.

“I think we’re all in the soup together. We have a really broad range of ages, from 18-year-olds up to 57-year-old skaters, so everyone is welcome. There’s a really intense sense of sisterhood, and it’s a safe place to be athletic and to be vulnerable,” she said.

With the sport not as popular as it once was, Tijerina said they’ve overcome challenges and are still fighting to keep it alive in the area.

“We’re trying to rebuild the team after COVID hit. We lost a lot of skaters, and I took over. We are recruiting more skaters, but what we really need is a home. We need somewhere to skate,” she said. “We practice out here in the park, it’s free and it does the job but we really need a place of our own.”

“The main thing I like to do is ask everybody how their day was, so they know they can come here and talk to us. Whatever they’re going through, we’ll be there for them. Everybody needs that, especially on a bad day, you want someone to listen,” she said.

For Tijerina, aka Vicious Nikki, seeing other women find their strength is exactly why she keeps the league going.

“This sport to me is like life – you get hit, you get knocked down, but you get up and keep going,” she said. “That’s what I tell the girls: it’s going to get better. Derby is a lot like that, we’re all going through stuff, and when you get knocked down, you get right back up. And you’re not alone, you have someone there with you.”

If you’re interested in joining the team, visit their Facebook page here.

Grief to Grit: Corpus Christi roller derby leader helps women turn pain into power

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