Stratford was well represented on the global stage as Team Canada's female team won the bronze medal at the Junior Roller Derby World Cup.
Makayla Soper was on the roster for the red and white and Jennifer Zammit was chef de Mission for Canada at the competition in Valance, France.
The event was hosted outside of North America for the first time July 28-30. Canada’s team included 35 youth athletes with five hybrid skaters who competed on both teams. The hybrid team finished in fourth place.
The female team beat a World all-star team in the bronze medal game. The U.S. beat Sweden in the gold medal final.
“A third and fourth place finish for this hybrid team of 35 kids who practiced twice before this weekend is outstanding,” head coach Caroline Reimer said in a news release. “Our athletes did the work with the tools we gave them and we are so proud of this win.”
“We are a small sport with a lot of heart, and it is amazing to see our athletes recognized on the world stage,” said Zammit, president of the Junior Roller Derby Association of Canada. “We hope this attention attracts more youth to try out the sport and grow our community across Canada.”
Team members were selected from across the country, from British Columbia to Eastern Canada.
The team had their work cut out for them in France, Zammit told StratfordToday from France.
"We were up against countries that never shut down for COVID and didn’t have that kind of sponsorship that would facilitate us getting together for more than two practices. So the medal is a real testament to the team’s training and spirit.
"It was a wonderful tournament and a life-changing experience. Makayla and her teammates learned a lot about themselves in addition to learning about other cultures.
Players met each other for the first time in April, skated through practices and played two exhibition games to get ready for the world event.
"The kids are the best on their teams, then they come to the national level team, where things don't even out the same way they do at home. It was a bit of an education for everyone," Zammit said before the world championships. Some skaters can see the work they need to do, but it's a good thing we still have three months to do it."
Soper is the national team's jammer - a strategic position on the team.
Key to roller derby’s culture is that roller derby players, coaches and referees are known by their “derby names” that embrace the rough and playful nature of the sport. Junior national players range in age from 13 to 18.
Roller derby is a contact sport played on traditional quad-style roller skates.
At its roots, roller derby began as a sport for women. It has since evolved to be an inclusive sport for all genders.
Related: Stratford connections lead Team Canada.
