Skater Name: Premo Donna
Number: 8181
How long have you been skating?
I have been skating in some form or another for as long as I can remember. I never skated competitively, growing up. It used to be my way to unwind after school, listening to music and skating around.
I have been playing roller derby for 5 years now. I started as a Fresh Meat skater for Burning River in 2010, going into Season 5.
I was drafted to the Hard Knockers in the first draft that year. Later on that season, I made the All Stars travel team.
What does your derby name mean?
It’s a play on words. My last name is Premo, so I decided to use a play on the term “prima donna”, which is Italian for “first lady”. Prima donna is often used to describe someone with an overinflated view of themselves.
I am the exact opposite of a prima donna, and I appreciate irony, so I went with it. Most everyone just calls me Premo, though.
What is your favorite derby moment?
The first time I won MVP Jammer. I was a rookie and it made me so happy!
Do you have a spirit animal that reflects your derby playing style?
My derby spirit animal is some sort of weird rhino-gazelle-giraffe hybrid.
What is your signature move on the track?
I use my shoulders a lot to get through the pack. Last year, my team called me “1000 Knives” because they said that is how my shoulders feel.
Other than that, when I’m jamming, I juke a lot, and I’m almost always on my toe stops in the pack.
I only just started focusing on blocking this year, so I haven’t really developed a “style” yet in that area.
What is your pre-bout routine? Any rituals?
I always had to work on bout days, so my routine is usually the day before. I usually like to wash all of my gear the night before. For travel games, this isn’t feasible.
I always do some sort of eye makeup for a bout. Something about the ritual of it calms me down a bit.
How important is derby in your life?
I have two main hobbies.
Roller derby and horseback riding.
When I am not working or on horseback, I am playing roller derby or thinking about roller derby.
Where would you like to see your derby career go?
I’m pretty happy with where my roller derby career is now. I’m playing for the All Stars and the Hard Knockers this year, and whatever happens next is gravy.
What advice would you give to someone looking to begin their roller derby career?
You can do this.
If it is something you want, you can do it.
Put in the work and the effort, and you can do this.
Go to Rec derby, learn how to skate and learn how to play, then contact our recruiting team!
Anything else we should know about you?
I am married. My husband’s name is Jason and he is amazing.
We have no kids, but we have plenty of pets to keep us busy. We have a beagle mix named Rosco, a domestic shorthair cat named Zazzles who I raised since he was two weeks old, an albino ringneck dove named Caesar, a hedgehog named Vander, a ball python named Eve, and a horse (a Percheron/Saddlebred cross) named Gypsy. As I said before, I have two main hobbies and one of them is horseback riding, but mostly that includes training Gypsy.
When I can find the time between everything else, I also ride four-wheelers with my friends, which I have done since I was six. Our trips are few and far between these days, though.