Physical therapist proud member of Atlanta Rollergirls
Pulse editor
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Patients in the rehabilitation department at Rockdale Medical Center in Conyers know Tina Bradley as a friendly, competent physical therapist who helps them heal. But would they recognize her as “Canna Whoopass,” the fast-and-furious, no-holds-barred roller derby skater with the Atlanta Rollergirls league?
“It’s doubtful. We’re two different personalities,” said Bradley, MS, PT. “As a therapist, I’m an extrovert concerned with the needs of others, and I love my job.
Photos by BARRY WILLIAMS / AJC Special
When physical therapist Tina Bradley gets geared up for roller derby, she transforms into her alter ego, Canna Whoopass.
Bradley (aka ‘Canna Whoopass’) fights for position as she skates with Atlanta Rollergirls and skaters who are trying out for the league.
“Canna, on the other hand, is more introverted. She likes to sit in a corner and observe ways to exploit the other team — then erupt like a quiet storm in the rink. She’s driven and totally focused on roller derby.
“I guess you can say I have a double life.”
Whenever Bradley mentions her roller derby life to her patients, they are intrigued, ask plenty of questions and are generally supportive. None have seen her play, but many of her co-workers and friends have.
Although roller derby is growing nationwide, many people have misconceptions about it, based on the sport’s history. Before dying out in the early 1970s, the original roller derby was played on a banked rink and had grown into a spectacle played by professional teams. The bouts were often staged and the outcomes were fixed — a lot like wrestling on skates.
A new day in roller derby
Today, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association fields amateur teams and attracts young, athletic women who want to participate in an independent sport. Skater-owned and operated, the Atlanta Rollergirls league has four local teams and one national team that play in the spring and summer at Yaarab Shrine Center in Atlanta and in other cities.
Players must pay for their own skates, extra wheels, uniforms, dues and travel.
“People are often shocked by my size (5’ 1”) when they find out I play roller derby, but there is no typical roller derby girl,” Bradley said. “Our players come from all walks of life and are all sizes and shapes. In my league, we have a member of the clergy, a college professor, students and workers from the CDC. We all love skating and competition.”
A former physical therapy student introduced Bradley to roller derby in 2007.
“Skating has always been a passion of mine. I skate freestyle with F8L Attraction Skate Crew at a rink three times a week,” Bradley said. “Roller derby is just another manifestation of skating — one that combines skating with physical competition. What could be better?”
A wrestling enthusiast, Bradley chose Canna Whoopass for her derby moniker, because she’s a big fan of former pro grappler Stone Cold Steve Austin, who often threatened to “open up a can of whoopass” on his opponents. A knee injury kept Bradley from making a roller derby team in 2008, so she worked as a referee. This year, she’s playing all five positions for the Denim Demons.
The game takes strategy
Roller derby bouts are played in two 30-minute periods. The goal is for each team’s jammer to score the most points by lapping opponents. Only the jammer scores points.
The power blocker is the first line of defense, while blocker one holds the inside line and blocker two holds the outside line. The pivot controls the pace of the pack.
“You have to focus on the job you are supposed to do and tune out the audience,” Bradley said. “There’s a lot going on — even without the audience. You have to pay attention to who is coming after you, who is falling, the location of your jammer and the other team’s jammer. I’ve learned a lot of strategy this year.”
It paid off when the Denim Demons played their first two bouts of the season on March 28. They were Bradley’s first official competitions.
“We won both, and I played jammer part of the time and scored 17 points,” Bradley said.
She was voted most valuable player and asked to play on the Dirty South Derby Girls All-Star Team.
Because roller derby is rough — bruises, broken bones, torn ligaments, sprains and shoulder dislocations are part of the sport — Bradley is motivated to stay in shape and to become a better player.
“Injuries can happen when someone hits you and you’re not prepared,” she said. “The bouts are really, really intense. That’s what I love about them.”
Living a double life takes stamina. Bradley often skates six hours a day on the weekends and practices many nights during the week. She visits the gym several times a week to work on strength and balance, but her job comes first.
Bradley, who knew she wanted to be a physical therapist when she was in high school, has worked at Rockdale Medical Center since 2003.
“If I’m scheduled to work, I don’t put my name on the list to play,” she said. “I love my job and I love skating, and I can’t imagine giving up either.”
If there’s one connection between her two roles — one healing and the other seeking “derby domination” — it’s teamwork.
“When you’re on the track, you have to stick up for each other and protect each other,” Bradley said. “If someone falls, you have to pick up the slack. If you don’t have a good team, you can’t win.
“The same is true in physical therapy. You have to have good rapport with your patients and co-workers. You have to trust each other, and we have such a good team at Rockdale. I love both my teams.”
ATLANTA ROLLERGIRLS AT A GLANCE
• Where: Bouts at Yaarab Shrine Center, 400 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta
• Tickets: $12 tickets per bout, $20 for both
• On the Web: Atlanta Rollergirls